Demonic Desires
by LittoGrrlStephie
Summary: Inuyasha's inner demon finally comes out to the surface freely when Kagome is injured in battle. He lusts for destruction, blood, but most importantly of all: Kagome.
1. The Demon

Author's Note: My first Inuyasha fic! Well I hope that you all enjoy this chapter and tell me if it's worth going on!

Disclaimer: **This will be the first and last time I will say this: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

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Demonic Desires

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By: LittoGrrlStephie

Chapter One: **The Demon**

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Pain seared through her body as if she had just been injected with fire. She forced herself to stand and run forth, as the spider demon with the jewel shard on its forehead raced after her for the pieces that she had that laid softly to her chest.

The day had been as bright as any other day until she sensed a jewel shard; seekers of the Shikon jewel of course, had gone after it as always, but the spider proved to be harder to defeat. It had attacked the others from the shadows of the trees, and left them in its web as it raced after her for the jewel fragments. The demon had injected a fang into her left shoulder when it had caught up, and she had barely managed to fend it off with an arrow. It temporarily stepped back from her purity arrow, allowing the miko to make a mad dash to Kaede's village.

Now she was running deeper into the forest as the trinkets of blood trickled down her left shoulder. Her vision began to blur as she moved on, it was like peering through a magnifying glass from far away. Shaking her head to clear the blotches, she ran on. She couldn't let the demon get a hold of the fragments. They had lost enough to Naraku already.

The leaves began to rustle as the birds screeched and flew upwards toward the sky for safety from the beast that had interrupted their settling area.

Kagome froze as she placed a hand to her should to stop her blood from leaking out with the pressure. Her heart stopped for a moment as she heard a roar come closer from up ahead.

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How could it have caught up so fast? Questioned Kagome as she turned around and raced the other way. She could have sworn that the creature was behind her.

Not realizing where she was going she stumbled upon a root and fell face forward. Slowly, as she felt her body grow weaker, she whispered, "Inu... Inuyasha."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kagome" whispered the white haired half demon as his sensitive ears picked up her call of distress.

"Inuyasha, do you think you can get us free?" Came the monk's question from below him.

Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kirara, and Inuyasha were all upside down and sideways as they laid on the sticky web helplessly. It seemed that no matter how much they struggled, they found themselves sinking faster into the sticky solution that had trapped them.

Suddenly the scent of blood, not ordinary blood, but Kagome's pure blood filled the half demon's nostrils. Inuyasha growled as his eyes narrowed as he realized that she was wounded badly.

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I have to save her! There has to be some way out of this. Thought Inuyasha desperately as he tried to move his hands that had unfortunately been stuck to the web of silk and honey.

The half-breed whipped his head up when the scent of Kagome's blood began to grow rapidly as if someone or some demon had struck her. Growling angrily, Inuyasha reached for Tetsusaiga that was only a few inches from his claws. _Damn it!_ Cursed the half-breed angrily. If only Tetsusaiga was closer.

Inuyasha growled when the blood lingered in the air and showed no sign of reducing. _Kagome. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. _Brooded the half demon as he slumped his form. He couldn't get out.

"Shippo, do you think you can transform into a sword and cut us loose?" Asked Miroku when he knew it was present that Inuyasha wasn't going to do anything but sulk.

"I can't move!" Yelled the fox-demon as he struggled, but only managed to get his bushy tail trapped on the web, causing him to remain fixated in his spot.

The wind picked up as the scent of Kagome's wild flowers drifted into the air, tainted by the blood that was flowing out of her.

Inuyasha's breathing suddenly became rigid as his silver-white hair covered his eyes. His whole body seemed to pulse in a slow dangerous way. A claw sharpening, fangs growing and eyes flaring into a blazing red, as his strength multiplied.

His companions looked at the transformation uncomfortably as the now fully formed demon roared and slashed his claws at the web, making them all fall from the tree that held the web together. The demon landed calmly on the floor and raced toward the bleeding miko.

"Ow! My bottom hurts," said Shippo, he had fell on his behind on the long way down.

"We better help Kagome," said Miroku as he held his staff upright after taking the sticky substance from his hair and clothes.

Kirara changed into her larger demonic form when Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu on her back, and then leapt on Kirara to get to Kagome faster. Miroku quickly got on once Shippo jumped onto his right shoulder.

"Let's go," ordered Sango as Kirara jumped into the sky and floated toward the scent of blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome's eyes laid open and vacant as the spider injected a fang into her neck before quickly taking it out, wanting her to die of the loss of blood. Its victim laid on the forest floor in her own puddle of blood and laid unconscious.

The demon chuckled, as it used its fangs to snip the shards that were held together by a single string, and then turned back to its prey.

Before the spider-demon could inject its poisonous fangs again into her body, four of its eight legs fell under it, causing the demon to topple over.

"Get away from her," growled a certain red-eyed, silver-haired demon that landed just before the spider demon. His voice was more venomous than the spider's poison.

The spider demon snarled as it attacked its new prey with its fangs.

Inuyasha only grinned as he slashed the creature with his deadly poisonous claws, which then went right through the spider and caused the shards to fly out as the demon's body parts vanished.

Smirking, the victorious demon turned around to the human. He scrunched his nose at the smell of blood and walked over to the body.

He knelt down and pulled Kagome's limp body into his lap as he cradled her head with his left arm. On instinct the demon began to lick her wounds, there were two injections in each arm, one near the elbow and the other by the neck.

Slowly, as if by magic, the wounds began to vanish, but the poison was still within her body.

Kagome shuddered uncontrollably as she felt herself go numb; her lips turning blue from the coldness that surrounded her lithe form.

The demon moved her closer to him for warmth before bringing his right arm toward his fangs before biting down. Blood dripped out as the demon moved the red liquid to the human's lips, as he tilted her head so that the substance slid down her throat. Just as Kagome had stopped suckling on his wrist, the cuts healed and were as if nothing had happened, not even bite marks remained on his golden skin.

Standing, he held Kagome's limp form in his arms as he moved to get away from the stench of blood. In a flash, he was gone and leaping off tree branches to find a place for the miko to rest and restore her powers as his blood worked to get rid of the poison from within.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I could have sworn that I saw Inuyasha come this way," said Shippo when they landed in the forest with the dead body parts of the demon lying on the floor.

The little kitsune was holding Tetsusaiga in his arms as they jumped off the flying creature and stepped onto the battlefield.

"They were here. Look," said Miroku as he pointed to the blood puddles and the claw marks of Inuyasha.

Sango looked concerned as she saw the jewel fragments lying amidst the spider's remains.

"Something's wrong," said Sango as she looked around.

"Where could Inuyasha have gone with Kagome?" asked Miroku as he knelt to gather the jewel shards.

"I don't know, but Kagome's blood is in the air, and I can't tell where she is," said Shippo as he began to hop up and down.

"Kirara! Do you think you can scent out Kagome?" asked Sango to her demon ally.

The creature lifted its nose to try to catch the scent of the miko, but all that it could do was smell the blood that had puddle before her. Shaking her golden main, the creature bowed its head.

"We can trust Inuyasha not to harm Kagome," said Miroku once he stood up straight again, the five shards darkening from the blood that covered it.

"I know, but I still can't help but worry," said Sango as she looked up into the azure sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The full moon's rays gleamed in the window, as it enveloped her form like a curtain of white silk.

Kagome left eye twitched as the light seemed to get bright, leisurely opened. But she quickly snapped her eyes shut as the light seared into her sensitive optical nerve.

Sitting up, she instinctively held her arms and where the fangs had entered her body. Confused that there was no blood and no pain, she quickly sat up.

Moving her hands along the areas where the wounds were suppose to be, she gasped as she noticed that her nails had became claws. With trembling fingers she brought her hands to her face confused and scared. _What happened? _Thought Kagome desperately.

"You shouldn't move, my blood has yet to get rid of all the poison," came a cold and dark voice from the shadows.

Kagome's head snapped up as she finally got a good look around at her surroundings. She was in a small hut, and there was nothing inside but a small futon and a blanket, which she was on, in the center of the wooden home.

"Who's there?" asked Kagome, her clawed hands gripping on her chest.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a shadow; the figure became clearer as she looked. In the darkness she saw a demon with blazing inferno eyes that stared right into her own. She unintentionally backed up as she felt the power of the demon; her own blood pulsing within her as the creature stood and walked over to her soundlessly.

"What do you want?" asked Kagome as she pulled the blanket over her form and scooted back from those demonic eyes that wouldn't allow her to break the connection.

Kagome gasped as the figure appeared before her in the moonlight, revealing Inuyasha in his demon state.

"Inuyasha," whispered Kagome as relief washed over her, but parts of her kept alert incase the demon did anything.

He merely sat down on the futon before wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her into his lap. The demon began to trail a path from her wounded areas; from her left arm to her right. His claws tickled her skin as he looked at her beautiful form with his keen eyes.

She could feel her breath leave her and face flush as the demon, no as the one she loved, looked at her with an immense heat that made her just want to melt, yet it sent chills down her spine. The way he looked at her was enough to scare and comfort her in another way she couldn't quite understand.

"Why are you trembling?" asked Inuyasha, his voice was deeper, richer, and more dangerous; a clawed finger rested on her shaking lips.

"I-I'm just c-cold," lied Kagome, that wasn't at all the reason why she was quivering. Her fear was made from him, the fear of his closeness, the fear of rejection, and the fear of his inhuman ways.

The demon held her closer to him as he draped the blankets around her small form, allowing his body heat to transfer to her.

Kagome smiled as she rested her head on his warm chest before allowing sleep to conquer her small form and take her to dreamland.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: That's about it. I know that Inuyasha's demon side is kind of nice in this, but it goes along with the fic. Do tell me if I should continue or not!


	2. A Hanyou

Author's Note: Thanks to the reviewers! I hope you enjoy my fic!

Chapter Two: **A Hanyou**

The sun's rays fell upon her face like a golden silk and warmed her cold face. Gradually she opened her eyes, but quickly closed them and instead snuggled deeper into her blanket, though she couldn't understand why her blanket smelled like the forest and was warm yet hard at the same time.

Kagome snapped her eyes open and nearly screamed when she saw the hanyou below her, but his peaceful face made her think twice before yelling. Slowly, as not to awaken him, she got off of him, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Though when she looked back down; to her horror, her hands were still clawed.

She raced over to the window, and gasped at what she saw. Her hair was now a silky white, her eyes were a gentle gold, and her ears were on top of her head. Instinctively she moved her fingers to her ears and tweaked them. She gasped when she realized that they were real.

"I have to be dreaming. I can't be a hanyou," whispered Kagome, as she shook her head. There had to be some mistake, she was a human, a human not a half-demon!

"Is there something wrong with being a half-demon?" Snarled a dark voice, it was filled with pain despite the venom in them.

Kagome looked up and immediately regretted her words. Her own amber gaze met a pair of hurt ones that were guarded by a cold exterior. She had hurt the hanyou's feelings.

"That's not what I meant Inuyasha, I was just... shocked," said Kagome as she bowed her head to look at her claws.

Suddenly a thought went through her head as she raised her head to meet his amber gaze.

"Aren't you concerned that I'm a hanyou?" asked Kagome curiously.

Inuyasha only snorted before replying sharply, "You were like this last night. Then again humans don't have very long memory spans."

"How do you know? I mean you were a demon, and you've never remembered anything when you're in your demon state before," stated Kagome a bit confused, ignoring his last comment.

"I don't know, but I remember," said Inuyasha, shrugging his shoulders before grinning up at her.

Kagome cocked her head at him in confusion, and blushed when she remembered that she had slept on top of him last night after he had held her to him.

"We better get back to the others," said Inuyasha as he stood up.

"What about..." began Kagome as she looked at herself.

"At least you'll be able to catch up with me," said Inuyasha before she could finish.

"I don't think I can face them like this," said Kagome, as she sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Is it really that shameful to meet people as a hanyou?" Asked Inuyasha, his voice was merely above a whisper.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome, her face full of guilt as she stood up and walked over to him. "That isn't what I meant, it's just that I... The others aren't use to me looking like this," she added hastily as to not offend him anymore than she had.

The hanyou only kept silent as his amber orbs looked into her sparkling ones.

"So when do I change back?" asked Kagome instead, she wasn't really excited about staying this way her whole life; she wouldn't be able to go to school, let alone be seen in public in the 21st century. People weren't exactly use to demons roaming around their back yards, let alone on the streets.

Inuyasha seemed to be in deep thought, but he only shook his head grimly.

"Don't tell me I'm stuck this way forever! I won't be able to go to school, and my mom would freak out," said Kagome; terrified at what she might lose because of her new transformation.

"I never said that you couldn't," said Inuyasha quickly when he saw that she was close to tears. He hated to see her cry, it brought so much pain to his own soul when she did. Each tear seemed to eat away at his soul, as if he had failed her someway to make her cry.

"There's a way?" asked Kagome as her face lightened up with hope.

"But we'll have to get Myoga's help," said Inuyasha bitterly.

"I almost forgot about him, he could drink the youkai blood out of me," said Kagome with a smile; she was going to be able to change into a human again.

"Yes, but he'll take most of your blood as well. Your blood has already mingled with my own," said Inuyasha with a frown.

"Y-you mean that I can't return back to a human without Myoga taking most of my blood? I'll be in a coma for days, weeks," said Kagome angrily.

"It's that or stay this way until my youkai blood is purified by your miko powers," said Inuyasha.

"And how long will that be?" Questioned Kagome.

"Until the new moon," said Inuyasha with a smirk.

"That's right, it's when your demon blood sleeps and my blood will be able to purify it, when your blood is at its weakest," said Kagome with a smile when the hanyou frowned.

"Yes, but the moon was just a night before last night," stated Inuyasha.

Kagome glared at his grin, and crossed her arms around her chest angrily.

"Let's just go find the others," said Inuyasha as he calmly strode toward open flap of the hut.

Realizing that she wasn't coming, Inuyasha turned around and glared at her before snapping, "Are you coming or what?"

"I refuse to go back to them until I'm human," said Kagome defiantly as she lifted her chin into the air.

Inuyasha growled low and threatening as he stomped back over to her. Kagome only growled back as she uncrossed her arms and glared at the hanyou before her. He might have saved her life, but he was also the one that caused her to become like this, and she wasn't one bit happy.

"We're going back, and we're going to look for the shards," said Inuyasha, his voice ten times deeper and one hundred times more venomous.

Kagome backed away when she realized that his eyes were turning red.

"I-Inuyasha?" Questioned the young miko as she instinctively took a step back as the youkai advanced with his own confident stride.

Before the demon could get within a foot of her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Sit boy!"

Inuyasha's body crashed to the floor, followed by the mumbling of curses as the miko knelt down beside his squashed form, before hitting him upside the head.

"What was that for wench?" Growled Inuyasha as he sat up and held his forming bruise.

"That's for scaring me," said Kagome as she lifted her chin and calmly walked out of the flap and into the light.

Growling about stupid mikos, the hanyou quickly followed.

"Why'd you stop?" asked Inuyasha when he walked up to Kagome, who seemed rooted to her spot just outside the hut.

Kagome was speechless as she looked at the scenery before her. The trees had to be at least 50 foot tall each as it surrounded the small hut, barely any light gleamed through the dense canopy above. The smell of fresh water and nature was lifted into the air by the wind, and not a single creature but them lurked around for miles. There was nothing wrong with the place, it was all beautiful.

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It's so much beautiful with a hanyou perspective. Thought Kagome in awe, her keen senses picked up everything around them.

"It seems like I was the first demon here in years," came Inuyasha's silent voice from behind.

Kagome cocked her head and looked back at him in confusion.

"The only scent of intelligent life is us, there isn't a single thing in this place that's alive except for us and nature," said Inuyasha, his eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked up into the sky.

Confused by his sudden change of ways, Kagome only nodded before looking up with him.

"We better get back to the others," said Inuyasha, as he moved to walk back to Kaede's village.

"Do you think that this place was burned down, and someone rebuilt that hut? I can smell the faint scent of burnt wood on the ground," said Kagome, her eyes focusing on the ground as if it held the answer.

"Very perspective of you," said Inuyasha, he really didn't care about any of that stuff, as long as it was a safe place to stay. And at the time, he needed a safe place for Kagome to rest.

"I guess the fire was good for the trees, they grew back from the opening of their seeds," said Kagome with a smile on her face as she looked around, like a child would on their first visit to the carnival or fair.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her child-like manner, but was caught off guard when she raced ahead of him.

"Race you to the others," Yelled Kagome with a grin as she waved to him.

"You don't even know where they are," Shouted Inuyasha as he picked up his pace to catch up with her.

"True, but I can smell them," said Kagome with a grin as she raced before him again.

Narrowing his eyes he began to leap from tree branch to tree branch until he was way ahead of the new hanyou.

"Amateur," Shouted Inuyasha as he raced ahead with a grin.

Fuming, Kagome raced on to try and catch up with the experienced hanyou.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

"Let's go!" Yelled Shippo as he tugged at Miroku's robes. "We have to find Kagome," shouted the fox-demon in the monk's ear, after he climbed up onto his right shoulder.

"Calm down Shippo. I have a feeling that Kagome and Inuyasha will find us," said the monk calmly, but nonetheless his face was grim.

"Maybe we should wait at the well," came Sango's voice, as she walked out in her kimono with Kirara on her right shoulder.

"Yes, that would be for the best," said Miroku as he slowly pried Shippo from his head and placed him on the ground.

"All right, but if she doesn't come back then we have to go after her," said the small demon.

"All right Shippo, let's go," said Miroku as he carried his staff and led the way, followed by the others.

The forest, or most likely known as Inuyasha's Forest was beautiful. Its trees full of life, animals chirping about, flowers blooming into their full beauty, and not a single thing was out of place. The tree in which Inuyasha was held prisoner for 50 years still stood strong and tall, and fit perfectly into the scenery.

"It's been close to a year now, and this place still looks beautiful," said Sango as she sat down onto the grass near the old wooden well; Kirara jumping into her lap as she petted the creature.

"Yes it is," said Miroku, his dark eyes looking into the azure sky with its cumulous clouds.

"We should be looking for Kagome, not admiring the scenery!" Yelled Shippo from behind Miroku's shoulder.

"Lord Inuyasha is coming," came an old and small voice from Kirara's for head.

"When did you get here Myoga?" asked Sango as her eyes fell on the small flea.

"Uh... Well I came when I sensed that Lord Inuyasha's blood had changed," said the small demon as he scratched the back of his head.

Miroku's face suddenly turned serious as he moved into a fighting position with his staff faced out toward the forest.

"What's up Miroku?" Asked the young kitsune.

"There are two aura's coming, I'm not sure but they both seem... dark," said Miroku with a frown. The two battle aura's seemed stronger than most, and he couldn't distribute if they were hanyous or youkais.

Sango quickly stood as Kirara was engulfed in flames and came out as a large cat demon.

A rustle of leaves from the tree tops on their right caused alarm; Sango got into a stance and let Hiraikotsu go and fly toward the movement and fling back after snapping the tree branches off.

"Did you get them?" Asked Shippo, looking over Miroku's shoulder.

"No, the aura is still there," said Sango, her senses alert as she looked around. There was something oddly familiar with the figures near by, yet dangerous at the same time.

"We have no choice but to wait for them to show themselves," said Miroku over a whisper so they could all hear.

Nodding, they all waited in stand-still fighting positions for their unseen enemy.

~*~*~*~

Kagome shut her eyes as she clung onto whatever there was so she wouldn't fall out of the tree. Sango's Hiraikotsu had almost cut her in half if her new ability and instincts didn't tell her to jump out of the way in time. She had wanted to jump out and surprise them, but now she thought better of it.

"Can you let go of me before you make us both fall?" Came a gruff voice. 

Looking up, Kagome nearly fell from letting go of the red cloaked hanyou who was blushing a little tingle of pink upon his cheeks, but his snarl gave him a darker look.

She nearly fell if warm arms didn't wrap themselves about her waist and pull her up to the owner's face so they were nose to nose. Kagome blushed furiously as she noticed how close they were.

"Let go of me," snapped Kagome as she tried to push away.

"Fine," hissed back the hanyou as he slowly let his grip on her loosen.

"Ah! No," said Kagome, as her arms flung around until they wrapped around Inuyasha's neck tightly so that her body was pushed up against his own.

She closed her eyes tightly, thinking that if she fell it wouldn't hurt as bad. But upon feeling something warm against her chest area, she snapped open her eyes. She immediately let go of her captive and landed on another tree branch, her face burning crimson at the shocked hanyou before her.

Inuyasha stood there dumbfounded at what just happened. He mentally slapped himself to try and organize what had just happened seconds ago.

Shaking his head, he looked back at Kagome with a cold mask to hide his true feelings.

"Let's go," said the hanyou as he made to jump down to the others.

"No," hissed Kagome as she pulled on his sleeve before he could jump down.

"And why not?" snapped the hanyou, his amber gaze boring deep into her own.

"You saw how they reacted! They didn't even noticed you! Something happened. I'm sure that Kirara would have picked your scent up, if not mine too and not being looking for us like she would an enemy," stated Kagome uncomfortably.

Something snapped in Inuyasha's head. Of course! When giving Kagome his blood, he also lost something as well. Though wouldn't Kirara have noticed him if he had more human blood anyways?

His thoughts were interrupted when Kagome pulled him down harshly, so that he had to bend down beside her.

"Look," ordered Kagome, as she moved apart tree branches so they could peer down at their friends.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide at what he saw.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: That's it! I hope that this chapter was good. This is my first Inuyasha fic, so I'm kind of lacking that spirit that I know most of you have in this category. I write more Rurouni Kenshin fics, so that's why this fic might seem a bit odd. My next Inuyasha fic will come out when I finish an RK fic, and I promise you that it'll be much better!


	3. New Powers?

Author's Note: I'm sorry that I haven't updated in this in a while, but I went a bit RK crazy and I became obsessed with a few older Anime shows. Then I was feeling really lazy, so I'm SO SORRY! I didn't abandon this fic, it's just really hard to find inspiration, and I just now found it after my Inuyasha crazed friends began showing me all of these wonderful Inuyasha related materials. So I thank them! ^_^

Chapter Three: **New Powers?**

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he saw Hiraikotsu coming straight towards them again. The two had no choice but to jump up out of the trees and reveal them, or get cut in half by the oversized boomerang.

Kagome couldn't let the others see her like this, they'd go ballistic and who knows what they would think? She knew that they were her friends and would never reject her, but she couldn't trust herself with her new powers. They were overwhelming and at times she felt like a whole new being; it scared her.

Not wanting to get caught by them, she took hold of Inuyasha's sleeve and instead of jumping up, she jumped down fifty feet to the ground, it was a risk she was willing to take. Shutting her eyes for the impact, she blinked them open when nothing happened. Looking up, she saw Inuyasha barely holding onto a tree branch, one hand holding her own.

"Are you mad?" Asked Inuyasha angrily as he glared down at her.

Kagome only smiled weakly at him. She looked at him confused, when Inuyasha didn't look down at her. He was looking at something to their right. Her eyes widened in horror as she Sango's boomerang heading back toward them.

Letting instinct take over, the new hanyou began to swing her towards another branch, using Inuyasha's arm as if it were rope. She landed swiftly on a branch below his, and watched as the other half demon drop to a branch just under her own. They crouched down as the boomerang went past them, cutting the treetops as it went straight back to its owner.

Kagome let out a sigh; that was a close one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Damn! I almost got them," said Sango angrily as she grabbed Hiraikotsu as it zoomed back towards her.

"These two must be smarter than we thought," said Miroku as he looked back towards the trees, watching as the birds began to fly away from the sudden disturbance.

"Do you think they can be another one of Naraku's offspring?" Asked Sango a bit uneasily.

"I'm not sure. What do you think Myoga?" Asked Miroku, as he looked at the flea demon that was now standing on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure, but one of the scents is vaguely familiar... I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem like Lord Inuyasha's scent, yet it does," said Myoga as he rubbed his small chin.

"Inuyasha would have come out by now. If what you say is true, then who is he with?" Asked Sango as she looked at the tree branches, all the while looking at the others. She had her hand on her weapon; she wasn't going to take any chances with these beings.

"I don't know" was all that the old demon could say.

"Let's find Kagome!" Yelled Shippo once again. He didn't feel safe without her close by; she always had that comforting aura about her that made him happy. The two creatures in the trees were making him uncomfortable, and he didn't like the way they kept close by. Kagome would have been able to sense if they were good or not.

"We can't turn our backs on the two, they'll surely attack us," said Miroku, and Sango nodded in agreement.

"So we're stuck waiting for them to attack us?" Asked Shippo nervously, as he sat on Kirara's back, looking up at the trees.

"We don't have any other choice," said Miroku.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Damn, they're going to be waiting a while," said Inuyasha when he jumped up towards Kagome; they had heard the whole conversation.

"What do we do now? We can't just wait her all day," said Kagome, as she looked down at them, shifting nervously.

"Let's just go down there and tell them about our situation," said Inuyasha, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No," said Kagome a bit too quickly, it made the other hanyou raise an eyebrow at her.

Blushing, the miko began to stutter, "I don't want them to see me like this... It's not like I'm ashamed to be a hanyou Inuyasha! It's just that, I-I don't trust my new powers with them. I mean, I'm not sure what I'll do and if I'm not going to attack them," said Kagome as she looked down at her claws, her head bent.

Inuyasha looked away, he knew how she felt. He had felt the same way when he knew that he could transform into a full demon. The conscience of hurting their friends was always on his mind, and he knew that he couldn't do anything to stop himself from doing so. It ate at him to know that he could become such a powerful creature, yet not be able to use his powers to save his friends.

Yet something confused him. Why had he remembered what he did when he was a full demon, when before he couldn't? He use to feel so helpless when he'd awaken as a hanyou and see the death that his other half had caused. Yet now he was able to know what his demon side did, and know what he was saying. The thought before was scary, and now it was just like watching a nightmare. It sent shivers down his spine that now he'd be able to know what he did and why as a demon, and can't do anything to stop himself.

Clenching his hands into fists, he looked up at Kagome. Lifting her chin with two fingers, he looked into her tearing eyes. He slowly wiped the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

"We'll just keep silent for a month and then go back," said Inuyasha.

"W-what about my mom, my brother, and grandpa? I have to go back to them, but..." Kagome looked down at herself and began to shake, she didn't know what to do. She felt so helpless all of a sudden; even with her knew powers.

"It's one month Kagome. During the new moon my demon blood should sleep and by then all the poison should be gone from your body. Your miko powers should be able to purify my blood by then," said Inuyasha as he stroked her silver mane.

Kagome looked up at him with beaming eyes, but she still had that matter of not being able to face her other friends for a whole month.

"We'll leave them a message," said Inuyasha.

"I can say that I'm staying in my time for a test," said Kagome with a smile.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her; it was amazing how quickly her emotions changed.

"Oh but my backpack is with them!" Said Kagome as she realized that she had nothing to write with to tell them.

"We just won't tell them then. They'll just think that we have yet to find them again," said Inuyasha as he stood up and helped her.

Before she could protest, Inuyasha picked her up bridal style and began to race deeper into the forest to where they stayed the other night. Jumping from branch to branch as quickly as he could so the others wouldn't feel threatened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sango and Miroku looked at each other confused when the auras vanished.

"What's going on?" Asked the young kitsune.

"They've left," said Sango as she lowered her weapon to the ground.

"That's strange; Lord Inuyasha's scent has vanished as well. I could have sworn that it was nearby," said Myoga.

"You don't suppose that it really was Inuyasha, do you?" Asked Miroku looking at them all.

"I don't know. We had better get back to Kaede's village. I'm sure that Kagome and Inuyasha will come there once they get the chance," said Sango.

Kirara, back to her smaller form, jumped onto Sango's shoulder, Shippo on Miroku's, and Myoga on Kirara's forehead.

"Kagome was badly injured; I think that the Inuyasha is probably taking care of her as we speak. We'll just have to wait. We can't find the jewel shards without Kagome, and we do need a rest," said Miroku.

The others only nodded as they followed him to the village.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha left Kagome in the small hut as he went to hunt for something to eat, leaving her to think things over.

Kagome looked at herself over, she still couldn't get over the fact that she was a half demon; it seemed like a dream, but she knew better. This was reality, she was a hanyou, and she was going to be stuck like this until the new moon.

Sighing, she leaned against the hut wall, taking in all the scents around her, taking in all the details. Her eyes caught the dust on the walls, caught the splintered wood, and she saw things so clearly that she would have missed if she were human. The world seemed so new to her now; it was like she was reborn again. She smiled in contentment.

__

Maybe being a hanyou won't be so bad. Thought Kagome as she closed her eyes and allowed her ears to listen to the sounds around her, to the sounds of nature at its most calm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A creature in a baboon suit sits on the branch of a large oak tree. The roots coming together as if it had formed a seat for the being.

"What the heck are we doing out here for?" Asked Kagura as she walked over the tree roots and nearly tripped over the squirrels that ran passed her. She snarled as she walked up to Naraku.

"Always impatient Kagura" came Naraku's dark and calm voice from under the suit.

"Can you just tell me what you plan to do, so I can get it over with?" Asked Kagura annoyed, as she finally made it over to her Master, her fan in hand as she looked at him.

"We're here to gather the life energy of the trees," came Kanna's voice from behind her.

"Don't do that!" Yelled Kagura, the little girl was always sneaking up on her when she least expected it.

The demon only held her mirror and walked over so that she stood to the left of her Master.

"What do you mean gather life energy?" Asked Kagura confused.

"The trees here are some of the oldest ever planted; they all hold the life of themselves and other creatures. They keep parts of the demons that have ever entered here. That's why this place is only trees, for it is the home of the strongest youkais around. If we harness this power, it'll make me stronger," explained Naraku as he looked at the roots he was sitting on.

Kagura finally looked at the place around them. The place was huge, the trees towering over 100 feet above, and packed tightly together. There were no pathways for humans to walk, and it was a difficult walk here for her. She had to use her own powers to try and get here, yet her fan barely scratched the bark of the trees when they managed to hit. The roots that she tried to destroy was still standing tall, she had to give up and just walk here a whiles back.

"How do you plan to get the life energy?" Asked Kagura as she looked at her Master.

Naraku only looked up into the sky, his insects flying down and landing on the trees. Suddenly they began to attach themselves to the tree and seemed to be feeding off the trees' sap. Kagura only smirked when she realized how he planned to collect the energy, but how would he use it once he got it?

Suddenly she noticed that all of his insects were at a single tree, and watched as the tree became darker and darker and it's leaves slowly dying. She realized that by taking the sap of the trees; it was like taking the tree's blood. Without it's blood, it would slowly die. The half demon that was her Master was very clever. Though the question on how he was going to use it, was still lingering in her mind.

The sound of the insects became louder as more and more approached them, groups of bee like insects covering the tall trees. It was going to take a long while to get all of the energy out of all the trees here. But knowing Naraku, he had lots of patience in him. Always bidding his time for when he'd be able to get more powerful and become a full youkai.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I know that it's short, but I really wanted to get this chapter out. I promise you that more is going to happen. I wanted to update so that you all knew that I hadn't abandoned this fic. More action in the next chapter!


	4. Adjusting

Author's Note: My sincere apologies for not updating this sooner, but I was sort of busy and had just come back from writer's block.  Those who read my Rurouni Kenshin fics know that I'm currently updating those fics as well and they're much longer than this, so therefore it's going to take longer for me to write them.  Thank you all for being so patient and reviewed!  I nearly forgot about this fic if it wasn't for a fan who emailed me a reminder!  So I thank you, Neo-Crystal!

Chapter Four: **_Adjusting_**

**Kagome sensed Inuyasha coming back, and quickly got to her feet to open the hut door for him.  It seemed that her ability to sense others coming near her had grown, and she was sure that her power to find the jewel shards had also increased.  She knew that adjusting to being a hanyou would be odd at first, but she also knew that she was going to be able to make the most of it while she was stuck this way.**

**"At least you aren't slow to react anymore," said Inuyasha in his regular annoyed tone as he entered the small hut, an old rag over his right shoulder as he closed the door behind him.**

**The new hanyou only growled at him as she followed Inuyasha into the hut.**

**"You could at least not act so distant anymore!  We're both hanyous now, you know," stated Kagome as she sat cross legged in the hut across from the other hanyou as he moved aside the rag to the floor.**

**"I'm acting the way I always act!  Maybe it's you that needs to adjust," snapped Inuyasha.**

**The two hanyous glared at each other before snapping their heads the other way and ignoring one another.**

**"If you don't want to eat, then you can starve for all I care!" yelled Inuyasha as he opened the rag to reveal corn, radishes, fruits, and yams.**

**Kagome had to fight herself from punching the guy across the face from acting so arrogant, but the sound of her stomach growling stopped her.  She only blushed when she heard Inuyasha laugh at her.**

**"Oh shut up!" crowed Kagome as she threw one of her shoes at his face, and only growled when her companion dodged it.**

**Crossing her arms over her chest angrily, she narrowed her eyes at the laughing half dog demon.**

**"Just hurry up and eat so we can leave," said Inuyasha, his voicing a bit gentle as if he had felt that she was punished enough and threw her the rest of the contents in the rag.**

**"Aren't you going to eat though?  And where are we going?" asked Kagome confused when she easily caught the worn bag.**

**"I ate before I got here, and just hurry up and eat so we can leave this place," said Inuyasha as he moved his hands into his sleeves.**

**"But where and why are we leaving here?  It's peaceful and nice, I haven't sensed a youkai or any shards of the Shikon no Tama," stated Kagome as she began to chew on an apple that she had received from Inuyasha.**

**"Which is why we're leaving, as a hanyou you can sense the jewel shards better and we'll be able to collect more of shards with both of our abilities.  We might as well gather the shards while we're waiting for you to transform back into a human; it's better not to waste your abilities," said Inuyasha as he quickly stood and made his way to the door of the hut.**

**Kagome only nodded as she finally realized that she wasn't going to be able to enjoy her powers as she thought she would be.  Though there really was no point in wasting time like Inuyasha said, they had to get the shards before Naraku did.  Gulfing down the rest of her lunch, she suddenly appeared beside Inuyasha and was ready to go.  She only cocked her head at him when he only stared at her in what seemed like disgust.**

**"What?" shouted Kagome, she didn't like the way he was staring at her, it made her feel dirty.**

**"The clothes that you're wearing don't match well with your transformation," stated Inuyasha as he looked at her, it really didn't look right.**

**"But I always wear this," said Kagome as she looked at herself.**

**"When you were human; I'll wait outside as you change."**

**"Into what?" asked Kagome; her voice rising to indicate that she really didn't have any other clothes but the ones on her to change out of.**

**"These," said Inuyasha as he moved a clawed hand into a sleeve and produced a kimono similar to the one that she had worn on her first day in the Feudal Era, the one like Kikyo's.**

**"Where….?  Never mind, just get out!" barked Kagome as she pushed him out and took the clothing into her hands.**

**~*~*~*~**

**Inuyasha only snorted as he stalked out into the woods and easily jumped into a tree.  He needed to rest his mind at what had just happened and the questioned that whirled around in his head, but he knew his duty was to get the shards before Naraku did.  Though whenever the others had thought about what they were going to do once they finished the Shikon no Tama, he always managed to avoid the subject.**

**He had been so sure when he first laid eyes on the jewel and heard about it that he was going to use its power to become a full youkai, but when he met Kikyo his mind changed….  But he changed his mind again once she had imprisoned him in that tree.  Now that he had met Kagome, he wanted to change his mind again.  He had always changed the subject because he himself had no idea what he really wanted.  When he finally felt the power of his youkai half, he had been scared that he wouldn't be able to control his powers and attack his friends.  And to change to a youkai for the rest of his life, he was risking himself in killing all of them before going insane.**

**Sighing at his confused thoughts, he scanned the area for at least the umpteenth time that he had arrived here; he had learned never to underestimate an enemy, especially after Kagome had nearly died from the last demon they had encountered.**

**Clenching his fists out of rage, he scolded himself for not being able to protect her from being attacked.  He hated feeling weak; hated the feeling of being helpless and not able to fight back.**

**"Inuyasha, I'm done!" shouted a gentle voice from below, snapping him out of his dark thoughts.**

**Jumping down to the teenager, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her in those clothes.  It wasn't because she was in the same clothes as Kikyo, but because she looked gorgeous.  Her white mane falling over her shoulder like a silk waterfall as her amber depths shined like gold, and her smooth skin glistening in the sun.**

**"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome as she shifted uncomfortably under the hanyou's gaze.**

**"Huh?  It took you long enough!  Let's get going," said Inuyasha as he crouched down to let her get on his back as he usually did, but mentally slapped himself as he remembered that she was a hanyou now.**

**Kagome only chuckled as she watched the frustrated hanyou before her.**

**"Let's just go!" said Inuyasha as he led the way.**

**"Right behind you!" cried Kagome as she raced after him.**

**~*~*~*~**

**"I'm still not sure if it really was Inuyasha, or just another weak youkai," said Miroku as he and the others sat around the fire in Kaede's hut.**

**"Lord Inuyasha's scent was clearly visible, yet it wasn't.  Something must have happened if his scent changed so much," said Myouga the flea demon as he hopped on Kirara's forehead as the small demon like creature nodded in agreement.**

**"What could have possibly happened to Inuyasha and Kagome?" asked Shippo anxiously; he really had a bad feeling from the two being away from so long. **

**"Ye must believe in the two and that they will be alright," said Kaede as she sat before the fire and stirred the stew in the black kettle on top over the open fire.**

**"We know that Inuyasha can take care of himself, but Kagome is another story.  She must have been badly injured from all the blood that was found in the battle area," said Sango worriedly; her face reflecting the other occupants of the hut.**

**"Ye must not worry about Kagome if Inuyasha is with her," said Kaede as she looked up from cooking lunch.**

**"We all know Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome, but I guess that we're all worried about the fact that Inuyasha is without Tetsusaiga and can transform into a full youkai," said Miroku as his features darkened at the thought.**

**"Kagome was able to stop him all those times before!" stated Shippo as he jumped up and down; the Tetsusaiga placed towards the flap of the hut.**

**"But Kagome wasn't as injured all those times," pointed out Sango as she moved a hand to Kirara's back as if to comfort herself.**

**"There has to be some way to make sure that she's alright!" cried Shippo as he looked towards the monk and the demon exterminator who only fell silent without an answer.**

**"Ye must be patient," said Kaede as she calmed the anxious kitsune down.**

**"I just hope that Kagome won't get any worse than she already is," said Shippo, the rest of the group nodding in agreement.**

**~*~*~*~**

**"I beat you!" shouted Kagome with glee as she got to the end of the forest before the other hanyou, her silver mane flying in the air as she turned to face the exasperated Inuyasha that followed her.**

**"You shouldn't be celebrating so soon, you haven't beaten me because I wasn't even trying!" snapped Inuyasha as he rolled his eyes as she stuck out her tongue.**

**"I guess you're right….  After all you've been a hanyou longer than me….  But Inuyasha?" asked Kagome a bit nervously as she intertwined her fingers and looked at the ground, her face growing crimson.**

**"What?" asked Inuyasha as he moved back a bit uncomfortably as he saw her blush grow; he wasn't so sure that he wanted to answer her question.**

**"I-I….  How do you….  I don't know how to ask," said Kagome as she bent her head and avoided eye contact with the half demon before.**

**"Then don't ask!" snapped Inuyasha as he brushed passed her.**

**"Wait up!  Answer me this before you start off with your rampage to ignore me, why didn't you ever tell me that your scent was on me?" asked Kagome as she caught up with him, and nearly rammed into the hanyou's back as he stopped.**

**"What?!" asked Inuyasha as he twirled around and nearly smacked into her forehead.**

**"Well…. I know that I'm new at this and that I'm not really sure about how to use my new abilities, but I'm pretty sure that my scent isn't the only thing on me," said Kagome as she lightly blushed from his intense gaze.**

**Inuyasha only looked at her confused, he couldn't tell if his scent was on her and his sense of smell was far superior to her new ones.  Looking at her chocolate eyes, he took in her essence and didn't find a hint of his scent anywhere.  The hanyou only cocked his eyebrow at her in questioning.  She was obviously hallucinating scents or was confusing that his scent was on her from their time together.**

**"Why are you looking at me like that?" snapped Kagome as she took a step back and glared at the hanyou.**

**"My scent isn't on you Kagome….  It's the same as it always was since you came to Era," said Inuyasha as he looked at her seriously.**

**Kagome was about to question him further, but decided against it.  She was new at this, and her nose was probably telling her wrong information.  But a part of her wasn't so sure about that.  It seemed that Inuyasha had marked her, but why would he?  Kagome only blushed deeper as her mind began to come up with solutions as to why he would.**

**"Women!" said Inuyasha aggravated as he threw up his hands and walked on ahead.**

**"Hey, can't you at least wait?" called Kagome as she easily caught up with him.**

**"You're a hanyou now; you won't ever have to worry about not being able to catch up with me for as long as you're in this form," snapped Inuyasha as he walked faster, causing Kagome to pick up her pace to be side to side with him.**

**"Why are you so grouchy all of a sudden," asked Kagome when she caught up.**

**"Why am I grouchy?" asked Inuyasha in a silent tone as he suddenly stopped his voice no more than a whisper.**

**Kagome took a step back uncomfortably; there was something weird about Inuyasha today but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.  She gasped when Inuyasha turned around with ruby red eyes and two violet claw marks on either side of his cheeks, his grin causing her to take a step back in fear.  Her heart pounding in her ears as she saw his claws come together and his eyes staring at her form; she did the only thing that she could think of, she ran.**

**Her mind began to race as she realized that Inuyasha's sword was missing, and as long as he was without it she was going to be in open victim to his demon half.  Using her new speed, she ran as fast as she could to get away from the demon.  She knew that there was something wrong with Inuyasha, but she never thought that it was the fact that Inuyasha's other half was becoming more powerful the longer that he was without Tetsusaiga. **

**_I've got to get back to the other!  But where are they?_  Thought Kagome as she felt the youkai catching up with her; she had to get Tetsusaiga back to Inuyasha before he went insane and killed everything in his path until he died.**

**"How long do you tend to run miko?" asked a deep and powerful voice ahead of her, the sound ringing through her ears like thunder.**

**Kagome let out a high pitched scream as she slowed down as she realized that the youkai was just beside her and grinning.  Stopping, she moved to run back the other way but rammed right into something hard and warm.  Looking up, her heart stopped as she stared into deadly crimson eyes.**

**Before she could try anything, powerful clawed hands clamped onto her elbows and stopped her from moving and saying anything to harm the demon.  If he went down, she was going to go with me.**

**"I-Inuyasha," whispered Kagome as she tried to get through to him, her amber eyes begging him to remember her and let her go.**

**"Why do you run away from me?" asked the demon, his voice almost sounding as if he were hurt.**

**"Have you always understood me?" asked Kagome as she cocked her head at him, a bit curious.**

**"Yes.  I can always understand you; can always feel you with me," said Inuyasha as he released one of her elbows and touched her cheek with his claws but careful not to scratch her, feeling her smooth skin against calloused hands.**

**Kagome was speechless as she saw his eyes open up to her, felt him as a real live creature like she always had, but now she was sure of it.  She was confident that even if Inuyasha was turned into a full youkai, he was still a creature with emotions, not a killing machine.  He had a heart, and she could hear it beating like her own, could see clearly than ever before that he really was a part of Inuyasha.  Even if he was the hanyou's darker half, he was still a part of him.**

**"Then why, why do you kill?" asked Kagome, burning tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him; her free hand moving to go over his own tense ones.  She hated that he would kill, that he'd kill anyone that got in his way, kill those that begged for their lives; she couldn't handle it to see him as a cold hearted killer when he really wasn't.**

**"It's all instinct; just like the instincts that are telling me to finish my claim on you," whispered the demon into her ears hotly, causing the teenager to blush a deep shade of red at his straight forwardness.**

**Kagome suddenly grew angry as she glared back up at him; did he really think that she would just let him claim her as if she were an object?  Well he was madly mistaken; there was no way she was going to allow him to claim her from under her nose, even if a part of her knew that she wanted him to.  But she wasn't going to allow him without a fight.  It was either her new hanyou instinct that was making her think this way, or just her anger thinking for her; either way she was going to make him that he really wanted her, and not because she looked like Kikyo, or use to anyways, or because of the lust that she saw in his eyes.**

**"You won't be able to fight me, even if you wanted to," said the youkai as he revealed his sharp fangs, his body moving closer to her in a predatorily way.**

**~*~*~*~**

A/N: That's all for now, and I probably will update this in a few weeks if my new school will allow me and I have to get use to my new home.  Since well I'm an exchange student from America to France now!  Right now I'm probably on a plane to France; I had a friend update this for me since I left this fic at home.  The rest will be from France!  

Je vous espère tout apprécié ce chapitre!


	5. Distractions

**Author's Note:** I'm in France! I had loads of time to write my fics on the long plane ride and luckily my parents got me a laptop before I left! Anyways, I hope that you guys like this chapter! I shall try and update if my schedule doesn't go crazy on me; I have to go to school on the weekends and I get out of school at different times each day! Do you know how confusing that is? Well as I try to juggle my life, I thank you all for liking my fic; your reviews make me smile! ^^ I can write in English and a bit in French, but I'm not going to write a whole fic in French. I'm sorry but I'm not that fluent in the language; I just know enough to hold conversation with someone.

Review responses are at the bottom!

Chapter Five: **Distractions**

**Kagome couldn't believe what was happening and she could feel the blood rush to her pale face as she felt the heat from the youkai before her come closer. Her hanyou instincts were telling her to just allow this to happen, that it was merely a way for them to become closer like she always wanted them to be; Inuyasha was opening up to her. But her human mind was shaking its head; there was something not right about this. It really wasn't Inuyasha that was doing this, it was his other half and she knew that Inuyasha was in there and he wasn't able to stop himself. Something inside her wanted to fall into the youkai's arms and just stay there for all eternity like she always wanted, but another part of her knew that there was just something not right about this.**

**"Inuyasha," whispered Kagome as she met his eyes, her own brimming with tears that she hadn't suspected.**

**"Don't cry! I hate it when you cry…. It means that I've… I've failed you," coaxed the demon, his voice a bit hurt as a clawed hand wiped away a stray tear off her cheeks. There was only one thing that the human, hanyou, and demon part of Inuyasha had in common, and that was their love, devotion, and the fear of hurting this woman. Even if Inuyasha had never wanted to get attached, he couldn't help but fall for her as they got closer.**

**"I'm not crying! I just had something in my eyes," snapped Kagome as she slapped his hand away and wiped away the unwanted tears, her new pride not allowing her to show a weakness.**

**Inuyasha only shook his head as he looked at her, his previous thoughts flying out of his mind when he had first caught the scent of salt from the hanyou before him.**

**"Y-your eyes are gold!" stated Kagome in shock as she looked at the hanyou; she could have sworn that he was a full youkai just a few seconds ago; he changed without her having to command him to sit.**

**"They're always gold," said Inuyasha as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.**

**"They were just red a second ago," said Kagome as she looked at him seriously.**

**"Are you feeling okay?" questioned the half demon as he moved the back of his hand to her forward.**

**Swapping his hand from her forehead, Kagome only glared at him before tackling him in a hug, causing the hanyou to skid back from her weight.**

**"What are you doing?" asked Inuyasha as Kagome moved her head to the crook of his neck; he could feel droplets of water on his shoulder.**

**"Inuyasha," was all that the hanyou heard before Kagome's body fell limp.**

**Wrapping his arms around her before her body dropped to the ground, the hanyou uncertain and confused looked for a spot to place the unconscious girl. Muttering about weak creatures, he quickly picked her up bridal style and let his eyes look for a comfortably place to put her, while the other part of his mind was questioning why the hanyou had fainted in the first place. From all that he knew, she was just fine and as cranky as she always was. The hanyou shook his head of the weird thoughts, there was obviously something weird going on within him but just when he thought that he understood his other half it came out and did something completely confusing.**

**Deciding that placing her on the ground would get her new kimono dirty, he easily jumped on a tree branch and kept her in his lap. Upon settling on the tree, he could feel his cheeks heat up when the hanyou moved her hands around his waist. Gathering courage, he moved his own hands tighter around the girl before allowing the trees to provide them shade for a nap from the evening sun.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**"We've been here a whole day and those damn insects have only managed to gather energy for eight trees!" complained Kagura as she sat on a large tree root beside Naraku and Kanna who were patiently watching the Saimyoushou do their work in collecting the energy.**

**"That means that these trees will cause my powers to grow and it'll be able to make my demons stronger!" said Naraku with a grin under his baboon suit, his eyes glowing switching from red to black in anticipation.**

**"The Shikon no Tama will be ours in no time," said Kanna as she watched emotionless as the trees began to slowly die.**

**"You two take your time in watching these insects feed; I'm out of here," said Kagura as she made one of her feathers grow.**

**"Where are you going?" asked Kanna as she moved her eyes from the creatures.**

**"Somewhere where it's nice and quite, those damn demons over there are about to pop my eardrums," said Kagura as she jumped on the feather and quickly flew into the sky.**

**"Kanna," said Naraku once Kagura was gone.**

**"Yes milord?" questioned the demon as she faced him.**

**"Kikyo and other demons are going to know that something is going on and so will Inuyasha's miko. I want you to cause a distraction near the forest entrance; I don't want them interfering before I have collected enough ki. Take this," said Naraku as he threw the girl a wooden puppet.**

**"Yes sire," said Kanna as she suddenly drifted away.**

**_Soon my powers will grow and I'll be able to gather the Shikon shards quicker, then I'll become a full youkai and this world will belong to me! _Thought Naraku; laughing out loud as more Saimyoushou came into view and landed on the trees.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**"Is something wrong Kirara?" asked Sango as she petted the creature whose fur was standing on end in her lap.**

**"Something's wrong with the Sacred Forest of Demons!" shouted Myouga as he bounced up and down on Miroku's shoulder.**

**"The Sacred Forest of Demons?" asked Sango as she looked at the three demons in the room who seemed to tense.**

**"The Sacred Forest of Demons is a place where all the great demons have entered to relax and get away from other creatures that might want to fight them. Even Inuyasha's father has been in there, and every time a demon enters the area, he or she leaves behind some of their own energy to allow the trees to grow and keep the place alive. The Forest is suppose to be a place that all demon's care about because the greater demons have all entered it. It's like a holy demon area, and when it's been damaged all demons can feel it," explained Myouga.**

**"Since when were demon's holy?" asked Miroku mockingly with a semi-serious expression.**

**"We must go to protect the trees! If someone gathers the energy, then there will be no one to stop them! All the power of powerful demons is within those trees. We have to protect them," said Myouga as he hopped up and down anxiously.**

**"If all demons can feel it, then the demons will protect the area," stated Sango.**

**"Yes, but we have to stop the one that is doing that. We're all going to be affected should the demons that do go there to help fail! What if it were Naraku?" suggested Myouga, causing the other occupants of the hut to grow dangerously serious.**

**"But you have to be at least some part demon to enter the area," said Shippo as he crossed his arms over his chest near the fire.**

**"I forgot about that…" said the older demon and only smiled nervously as the others sweat dropped.**

**"Then how do you expect us to help?" asked Miroku as he moved the flea between his fingers and began to squeeze him like Inuyasha usually does.**

**"Stop, I can't breathe! We need to find Lord Inuyasha," cried the flea when the monk stopped suffocating him and let him go to land on Kirara's forehead.**

**"How are we suppose to find him if we don't' know where he is?" asked Miroku as he moved his staff to his other hand.**

**"Lord Inuyasha will be sure to go towards the Sacred Forest of Demons, even if he is only a hanyou, a part of him will go there," acknowledged Myouga.**

**"If we find him, we'll find Kagome!" said Shippo as he stood up determined.**

**"Then let's go!" said Sango as she stood up and went to go change.**

**"Let's just hope that the demons realize that we're going there to help them get rid of Naraku," said Miroku as he quickly stood up.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**"Lord Sesshoumaru," whispered a frog demon to a dog demon in a pasture of wild flowers; a staff of a man and woman in his hands.**

**"I know," said the deep voice of the demon as his amber orbs looked up towards the sky and towards the Western Lands that had been left to him from his father.**

**"Lord Sesshoumaru, look at the flowers that Rin picked!" cried a little girl in glee in a orange and peach colored kimono, she looked no more than 7.**

**"Quiet you little brat! Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't have time for your insolence!" snapped the demon as he glared at the girl.**

**"Silence Jaken," said the demon lord as he narrowed his eyes at the small frog.**

**"Is something wrong Lord Sesshoumaru?" asked Rin as she looked up at the demon that had brought her back to life when she had died from the attack of wolves.**

**"Nothing is wrong Rin, just go play with Ah and Un," ordered Sesshoumaru when he turned to the girl.**

**Nodding, the little girl raced toward the two-headed dragon that allowed her to grab their reins and lead them deeper into the field of flowers to graze.**

**"Lord Sesshoumaru," began Jaken but was silenced when his lord walked towards the source of energy that was quickly fading.**

**"I leave you to look after Rin," said Sesshoumaru in his usual deep and commanding voice before vanishing with his lightning speed.**

**Jaken only sighed before turning to look for the human girl and the dragons.**

**"Get back here! Lord Sesshoumaru left me in charge, and you're going to listen to me," crowed the frog demon as he raced towards them in the short legs but was ignored as the dragons and human went on ahead.**

**_Why do I even bother?_ Questioned Jaken to himself as he cried after them; sighing he had no choice but to follow them.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Kagome stirred in her sleep and only cuddled closer into the warmth around her, her sensitive skin shivering when she felt the evening wind blew her hair about. Shuddering from the cold air, she smiled when she felt the warmth return to her as the blanket wrapped itself around her form. The blanket wrapped itself around her form? Kagome snapped her eyes opened and nearly fell off the tree branch in surprise if it weren't for powerful arms holding her waist.**

**"Don't do that! You could have broken your neck," snapped an angry voice before her, and she only narrowed her eyes as amber met gold.**

**"I wouldn't have if I were placed on the ground to sleep like normal people!" shouted Kagome as she stood up, her powers allowing her to balance on the branches.**

**"If you didn't notice, you're not normal!" barked Inuyasha as he stood up so that they were eye level, but kept an eye on her footing to make sure that she didn't fall.**

**"I'm not going to fall, so stop worrying," said Kagome as she saw his eyes fall to her legs.**

**"You're clumsy enough to fall even with your hanyou abilities," retorted Inuyasha with a smug grin that made the female hanyou narrow her eyes into slits.**

**"Why were you holding me?" asked Kagome as she calmed herself down.**

**"Because you fell asleep after you told me my eye color, and if you didn't notice that there was no place to place you on the ground without ruining your kimono or comfortable enough for you to sleep on! So I placed you in the only safe place that I would be able to watch after you," countered Inuyasha as he moved his hands in his sleeves and looked in another direction.**

**"I fell asleep? But why would I…? AHHH!" screamed Kagome as she moved backwards but accidentally slipped and went plummeting down.**

**Kagome grabbed in every direction and suddenly found herself hanging on the branch. Trying to mirror what Inuyasha had done, she pushed herself back and forth and managed to end up on her hands and hind legs like a cat.**

**"See! I told you I can take care of myself," said Kagome with a smirk to Inuyasha, who could only sigh in relief that she hadn't fallen to the ground.**

**Kagome suddenly tensed as she felt something, it seemed as if it were going to run her over, she could feel her body tensing up, but she didn't know the reason why.**

**"Sesshoumaru," whispered Inuyasha in a low growl as he felt his brother's ki coming closer, and could smell him coming fast.**

**"What is he doing here?" asked Kagome as she could feel the youkai's strength come closer and closer; it was as if the wind was about to get knocked out of her from the intensity and power that she felt from the demon.**

**"I don't know, but you better get back," said Inuyasha as he dropped to the ground calmly on his legs; his hand going towards his left hip but cursed inwardly when he realized that Tetsusaiga wasn't with him.**

**"I think that we should just get out of the way Inuyasha, we're not prepared to fight against Sesshoumaru," said Kagome as she jumped off the branch but landed on her bottom from her lack of experience with jumping off of twenty feet trees.**

**Inuyasha only rolled his eyes as he leaped over to her and helped her to stand up, watching as he saw her blush a nice tinge of pink in embarrassment.**

**"Why are you wasting your time here?" asked a dark voice from behind him, turning around Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he saw his older brother.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

A/N: I had enough time on the plane to write this, so here it is! I would have gotten it out when I arrived, but I had to find internet connection and I wanted to thank my reviewers so I had to wait. I hope that you all enjoy this fic!

Review Responses:

**Magiabruxa- **I updated! Thx for your compliment!

**Aharah Musici- **Thank you! I hope that the rest of my chapters are on beat too! ^^

**Fanfiction Wanderer- **Awwwwww! That's so sweet! Thank you so much! /HUGS/ I'm going to miss chatting to you often!

**Disblos42069- **Don't smite me all mighty smiter!!! See! I updated!!! Don't harm me!!!

**Kenji- **I think it's pretty obvious who the coupling is! ^_~ You should enjoy the future fluff!

**Ks-Starshine- **I'll try my best to keep up the good work that I will!

**Of Memories Past- **Hehehehe, thanks! I hope that I do well too! ^_~

**Shakenbacon- **Neat name and thanks!

**Anonymousey226273- **I updated! And Love and Peace to you too! V^^V

**Lindy*girl- **I updated soon! ^^

**Tori the Hanyou- **Hahahhahaha. Glad that you liked the fic! Well it really meant that I hope that you all appreciated the chapter, but you were close enough! I'm still practicing, so sorry if my writing is a bit odd…. Then I apologize!

**Sesshomaru639- **I wrote more ASAP!

**Gueshoo- **It's really fun in France! Though going to school there isn't, GAH my schedule is so weird! I swear that I got lost on my first day, and I had to go the day after I arrived here! I have to go to school on Saturday…. --;;

**Angelic Demoness- **Merci du compliment. Je suis sûr que votre Français est probablement meilleur que le mien ! J'espère que vous avez aimé mon fic !

**InuyashaFAN- **I shall keep writing this fic! Thanks for the compliments! ^^

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**Galandria the Vampire Queen- **Awww… Thank you so much for your review, and I thank you for your wonderful review. You're very considerate.

**Neo-Crystal- **It's no problem! And look, I updated soon!

**Thx for anyone else who reviewed and I didn't respond to! ^^**


	6. The Gathering of Demons

**Chapter Six: The Gathering of Demons**

* * *

  


**"What are you doing here Sesshoumaru?" snarled Inuyasha as he moved in front of Kagome protectively**

**"I was going to ask you the same thing little brother," mocked Sesshoumaru calmly, raising a brow when a certain female hanyou caught his eye.**

**"Don't you dare look at her," snapped Inuyasha as he flexed his claws.**

**"I wouldn't waste my time looking at worthless hanyous like yourselves. When did you learn to change your woman into your own pathetic species?" asked Sesshoumaru; half interested half trying to get on his younger brother's nerves.**

**Inuyasha clenched his fists angrily as he growled at the dog demon before him, his tension subsiding when he felt a gentle hand on his left shoulder as Kagome peaked at Sesshoumaru from behind the other hanyou.**

**"You felt it too didn't you Sesshoumaru?" asked Kagome, gaining a confused look from her companion and a serious look from the youkai.**

**"What are you talking about Kagome?" asked Inuyasha as he looked at her perplexed, his sense alert just in case his brother tried anything.**

**"You're pathetic Inuyasha, even your mate beat you to feeling the unbalance of part of your kind," said Sesshoumaru ignoring the glare from the male hanyou, his attention going towards the female instead.**

**"The demons are gathering, aren't they? Where exactly are they going?" asked Kagome a hand to her chest area as she looked at the youkai for an answer.**

**"The Sacred Forest of Demons," answered Sesshoumaru as he watched the girl look in its direction.**

**"Someone's messing with the trees there," added Inuyasha as he looked in the same place as the miko beside him.**

**"I'm glad that you've finally realized that; half breeds never catch on quickly," said Sesshoumaru, taking pleasure in annoying the hanyou.**

**"Naraku is there, I can feel the jewel shards," said Kagome, her silver mane blowing in the wind as her improved senses felt the pulse of the dark shards that their enemy possessed.**

**"Him again," said Sesshoumaru darkly as his eyes narrowed; he still had a bone to pick with that hanyou for tricking him before with the human hand that nearly ate his skin if he hadn't gotten rid of it.**

**"Then let's go," said Inuyasha as he took Kagome's hand in his and was about to race towards the forest when his brother's voice stopped him.**

**"Where's Tetsusaiga? Do you really expect to defeat that other hanyou with your bare claws, or are you going to depend on yourself transforming into a youkai?" asked Sesshoumaru mockingly, though a part of his voice was somewhat serious as he remembered the words that the old tree demon had told him about Inuyasha changing when his life was on the line and the sword was out of his reach; the hanyou's sanity was the price to pay if the half breed changed too many times.**

**"It's none of your business how I fight, all that matters is that I'm going to get rid of Naraku," growled Inuyasha as he raced on, leaving the older youkai without a real answer.**

**_The fool is going to go insane without knowing why or how. _Thought Sesshoumaru as he looked into the azure sky before bounding off after the two towards the Sacred Forest of Demons as well.**

* * *

  


**"Is it just me, or does it seem that we're going in circles?" asked the demon exterminator as she recognized that they had passed the same tree for the third time that day.**

**Kirara growled in recognition as well as the flea demon jumped up and down on the girl's shoulder.**

**"I'm sure that the sacred forest is around here, it's just that it's been so long since I've been there..." began the older demon, causing the other riders on the large cat like demon glared at him.**

**"Have you ever been there?" asked the monk as he looked at the flea demon annoyed.**

**"Well not...exactly..." said Myouga as he looked at them nervously.**

**"No wonder Inuyasha always tries to squish you to death," said Shippo as they all sweat dropped at the youkai's reply.**

**"But I'm sure that we're very close, my demon instincts are leading us!" reassured Myouga as he jumped up and down quickly.**

**"And we're suppose to trust you?" asked Miroku sarcastically as he hit the flea with his staff in irritation.**

**Ignoring the twitching flea on her head, Kirara bounded off towards the direction that her instincts were telling her to go.**

**"It's all up to you now girl," said Sango as she rubbed her companion's ear, causing the creature to purr.**

**"Inuyasha and Kagome better be there!" shouted the kitsune demon as the group raced towards the direction that they suspected would lead them towards the Sacred Forest of Demons.**

* * *

  


**"Kouga, do you feel that?" asked a wolf demon to the Leader of his pack, as he watched him stare out towards the unbalance of nature.**

**The wolf demon looked out at the mountain that they had regained from their old feathered enemies thanks to Inuyasha, though he knew that his pack leader would never thank the half breed no matter how many times he had helped them out.**

**"Silence Ginta, of course I can feel it!" snapped Kouga as his eyes scanned the area where the forest should have been. Racing up towards the top of the waterfall that hid his cave using the power of the two shards in either leg, Kouga looked about the land that he had roamed since he was just a pup.**

**"Do you think that Inuyasha and the others are already there?" asked another one of Kouga's right hand wolves.**

**"Don't speak about that mutt Hakkaku!" growled Kouga as he suddenly appeared before the two demons angrily; he hated anyone who mentioned his arch enemy who took his woman away!**

**"But sir, don't you think that even if Inuyasha is a hanyou he'd still be able to feel it?" asked the one known as Ginta.**

**"And if Inuyasha is there then Lady Kagome must be too," added in Hakkaku, they all knew that wherever they could find Inuyasha then Kagome was sure to be near him somewhere.**

**"You're right," said Kouga as he rubbed his chin.**

**"So shall we be going to see what's wrong with the sacred forest?" asked Ginta as he looked up at his Leader.**

**"Wait! If Inuyasha is going there and he's only half a demon... Do you think that that Naraku character is there?" asked Hakkaku; they knew that Inuyasha didn't really care about anything but getting back at Naraku and protecting Kagome.**

**Nodding, their pack Leader walked towards the edge of the cliff that they were on and out towards the vast green trees of their mountain.**

**"If Naraku is there then we have to go, I have a bone to pick with that bastard!" cried Kouga determinedly as he raced towards the forest, leaving a tornado dust cloud in his wake.**

**"I bet you anything that he's just going there to show off to Kagome," whispered Ginta to his wolf companion once Kouga was out of ear shot.**

**Shrugging, Hakkaku yelled for Kouga to slow down as the two tried to catch up the speed demon that was miles ahead of them by now.**

**"WAIT KOUGA!!!" yelled the two youkais transformed into their demon forms and ran as fast as their feet would allow them.**

* * *

  


**"I can't believe that I'm stuck listening to a hanyou in a baboon costume," cursed the wind demon as she glided through the air on her huge feather.**

**Thinking about how good it would be to feel the wind in her hair when she was free from Naraku's evil clutches and able to soar through the sky like she was suppose to instead of doing stupid errands for the hated creature.**

**"Maybe I should help Inuyasha and the others, that hanyou obviously has the ability to defeat Naraku, but he isn't strong enough. His brother would be able to, but he's too stubborn to listen to me. The information goes through one ear and out the other, and when he does take my advice he doesn't bother to thank me. Then again as long as he gets rid of Naraku it wouldn't really matter," said Kagura as she thought to herself.**

**Sighing at her thoughts, she merely sat cross-legged on her feather and looked out over the lands.**

**Suddenly something moving below her caught her eye, standing up she watched as what seemed like small dots moved towards where she was just at. Squinting her eyes she realized that what seemed like little ants were actually youkai, all looking angry as they rushed towards Naraku and the forest that he was in.**

**Looking around she heard the buzzing noise of Naraku's insects, and quickly turned her feather around. She knew that she had to go back to her Master before the Saimyoushou reported that she knew about what was going on and still decided not to help him. Not wanting her heart to be squeezed like it had been from Naraku when she first tried to disobey, she made her feather go faster as she opened her fan ready to attack those that were heading for the forest. She'd have to kill them and then use them as puppets if she wanted to get rid of most of the youkai that were streaming their way to get rid of Naraku.**

* * *

  


**"Inuyasha," said Kagome as she ran to make sure that the hanyou wouldn't drag her on the ground from the speed that he was going.**

**Stopping as he realized that his hold on the miko's wrist had tightened, the half demon loosened his grip and was glad that Kagome's faster healing powers got rid of the red ring that had formed from his hold.**

**"I'm sorry, it's just that..." began Inuyasha but Kagome moved a finger to his lips and shook her head indicating that it was alright.**

**"It's okay Inuyasha, you're just not yourself today," reassured Kagome as she stared into his eyes comfortingly.**

**Amber orbs sparkling, the older hanyou moved her hand from his lips and kissed her knuckles causing the girl to blush a nice tinge of pink as she saw the lust in his eyes.**

**"Inuyasha, I think that we should get at least some type of weapon if we want to go against Naraku," reminded Kagome, her eyes never leaving the half demon before her.**

**Letting go of the girl's hand, he only nodded seriously as he remembered the problem at hand. There would be more time to play around later when they disposed of Naraku and stop whatever plan the creature had up his sleeve this time.**

**"Do you think that we could borrow a bow and a few arrows from the village ahead?" pondered Kagome as she looked ahead, her senses telling her that a group of people were just a few miles away from them.**

**"Borrow? Why not just take it off one of the dead soldiers over there?" asked Inuyasha a bit darkly as his eyes fell in the direction of the sacred forest.**

**"What are you talking about Inuyasha?" asked Kagome confused as she followed his cold gaze.**

**"The demons are killing those in their way; they're racing to get to the Sacred Forest of Demons and a group of idiotic fools just happened to be in the middle of it," growled Inuyasha angrily as he thought about how many innocents had died for just being a by stander; it was all that evil Naraku's fault and his dark ways, he was a disgrace to all demons.**

**"Inuyasha, you've seem to become more... ruder ever since last night. Well not rude, but you've just... How can I say this? You've become...different," said Kagome awkwardly; his emotions seemed to be worse than it was before her transformation.**

**"How so?" asked Inuyasha, his voice dropping into a deeper octave as a grin wiped over his face, his silver mane shadowing his eyes as he stepped closer to her.**

**"This isn't funny Inuyasha!" Kagome said as she stepped backwards instinctively, something was wrong about the hanyou.**

**"Are you afraid of me?" asked the hanyou hurt, leaving the miko to stutter for an answer; he knew she didn't want to ever hurt him emotionally especially since she learned hints about his dreadful past.**

**"I-I never said that! I'm just a bit...nervous around you because...well..." began Kagome as she intertwined her fingers uneasily, refusing to look into his eyes.**

**"Because I'm acting more straight forward?" asked a deeper voice as he a clawed hand lifted up her chin and the other wrapped around her waist.**

**"By coming out more and more you're going to destroy Inuyasha's mind, you have to stop!" shouted Kagome as she struggled to squirm out of his hands but only managed to get crushed to the youkai's powerful chest.**

**Closing her eyes tightly as she felt a powerful hand cup her right cheek, she could feel the warmth of the demon's breath on her face. Even with her newer powers she was still helpless to him and ordering him to sit would only get her underneath him and right now she didn't want to think about what he might do when he had that advantage over her.**

**"Do you want him that badly? If you want him then you'll have to have me too, I'm a part of him and you'll have to accept me if you want all of him," whispered the youkai hotly in her ear, causing the hanyou's eyes to snap open in surprise and realization as her molten eyes met flaming ruby ones.**

**"I don't want to lose him," said Kagome, her voice barely audible as tears welled up in her eyes; she couldn't think about what she'd do if she lost Inuyasha.**

**"You can't lose him as long as I'm a part of him," comforted the youkai as his hold on her loosened and he wiped away the tears that had unconsciously stained her cheeks.**

**Letting the tears fall from her face she threw her arms around his neck, feeling powerful arms wrap around her form protectively when sapphire spheres soaked the youkai's shoulder. Kagome purred when the demon before her rubbed her back coaxingly; felt her body shudder as the heat of the demon before enveloped her form. Dizzy from the ministrations she barely noticed the youkai lift her chin with his claws and move her face to his own. Bones quivering, her legs threatened to collapse as she felt warm lips brush her own leaving her wanting to do nothing but melt into Inuyasha's form; her mind blanking as the youkai before her deepened the kiss.**

**"You belong to me miko, and no one else," soothed the demon as he moved the hanyou's stray locks behind her ears, his eyes roaming the maiden's round and smooth face as he traced a claw from her cheek to her neck.**

**Kagome could feel her eyes threaten to droop shut from the heat that she was feeling from the inside out, could feel the youkai's eyes journey over her body causing her to shiver from the lust that she saw from his volcano depths.**

**"Inuyasha..." whispered the half breed as she moved her hands from behind his neck to cup his face her face inching closer to his.**

* * *

  


_**A/N:**Well that's about it for now, I should be updating this and my other fics on March 11, 2004 for my birthday! ^^ Do you guys think I should change the rating for this fic? I think I might have gone a bit over board.... ^^;;;_


	7. Instincts

Chapter Seven:** _Instincts_**

* * *

**Last Time:**

"Inuyasha..." whispered the half breed as she moved her hands from behind his neck to cup his face her face inching closer to his.

* * *

**Kagome could feel the heat go to her face as her mind blanked out only the image of the creature before her swarmed her mind as they got closer. Only a bit more and she'd be able to taste the kiss that she had longed for since the day she realized how much she loved this being.   
  
"Hey mutt! What are you doing here, shouldn't you be at the sacred forest, or are you not demon enough to feel the unbalance?" snapped a voice, causing the couple to both growl at his interference and back away so he wouldn't suspect anything.   
  
"What are you doing here you pathetic pup?" barked Inuyasha's demon half, his voice deeper and darker as he turned to face the other demon making sure that his silver mane covered his ruby orbs.   
  
"Whose that behind you dog breath?" asked Kouga as he came to a halt from racing towards him, ignoring the threat in the hanyou's voice.   
  
"None of your business," said Inuyasha dangerously as he moved in front of Kagome, making sure that he couldn't see her.   
  
"You've betrayed Kagome for another half breed like yourself, and then dressed her up like your old love? You're disgusting and a disgrace to all demons. I knew that Kagome shouldn't have followed you, you can't even protect her right," said Kouga as he narrowed his eyes at him.   
  
Kagome placed a hand over the demon's arm when she saw Inuyasha shake with anger as he tried to restrain himself from ripping the wolf demon into shreds.   
  
"Just go away Kouga," seethed Inuyasha warningly as he clenched his fists tightly; he had no patience for the youkai in front of him that ruined his chance with his future mate as he saw it.   
  
"What makes you think that I'm going to do what you say Inuyasha? Since when did you decide to call me by my name?" questioned Kouga suspiciously as he walked closer to the two, wanting to find out just who was behind the hanyou.   
  
"Get away from her," warned Inuyasha venomously as he moved in front of Kagome possessively, he wasn't going to let anyone else see Kagome the way she was now when she didn't want anyone to. He'd respect her wishes and luckily for them Kouga wasn't as powerful in senses changes like Sesshoumaru.   
  
"So you've decide to give up on Kagome and mark this hanyou as your mate? You're lower than dirt," spat Kouga angrily, he still couldn't believe that Inuyasha had chosen a half breed over a wonderful person like Kagome.   
  
Inuyasha growled as he flexed his claws, ready to attack the bastard for talking about his woman as if she were nothing but an object.   
  
"Don't Inuyasha," whispered Kagome behind Inuyasha, trying to control her own temper.   
  
"Just wait until Kagome hears about this, you're going to pay for betraying her like this! Kagome is going to be my woman and I'll make sure she'll never have to see you again and remember your disloyalty," said the wolf demon as he narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha.   
  
"How wrong you are," said Inuyasha as he chuckled and looked up at Kouga with burning crimson spheres that caused the other youkai to jump back.   
  
"Inuyasha," hissed Kagome as she held onto the demon's elbow, not wanting him to attack her friend.   
  
"He insulted you!" objected Inuyasha as he faced her.   
  
"He doesn't know, let's just get out of here and get those arrows," said Kagome almost inaudibly, but knew for a fact that he had heard her with his sensitive hearing.   
  
Inuyasha glared at the other demon before taking Kagome's hand in his own and moved to get out of the forest area when the wolf appeared in front of them from his speed.   
  
"Where do you think you're going? I'm not going to let you go until you tell me where Kagome is," demanded Kouga.   
  
"Move, or die," threatened Inuyasha darkly as his eyes bore into Kouga's menacingly.   
  
"You're all bark and no bite hanyou; tell me where Kagome is," commanded Kouga as he held up his chin unafraid of the deadly threat.   
  
Before the demon could lash out his claws at his rival, he stopped when a certain hanyou got in his way with her hands spread out protecting the demon.   
  
"Inuyasha," yelled Kagome angrily as she stared defiantly into his eyes.   
  
Growling the demon only matched her gaze before glaring at the wolf demon who was bewildered by the hanyou's actions.   
  
"Let's go," barked Inuyasha's demon half as he grabbed Kagome out of the way and into his arms so that she faced his chest.   
  
Turning bloody red eyes at the youkai, Inuyasha picked the hanyou up bridal style and vanished before Kouga could question him any further.   
  
"What the hell is up with that dog? He didn't seem like a half breed at all...." said Kouga out loud to himself in a low voice as he thought about it for a second.   
  
"Lord Kouga!" shouted the voices of the other two wolf demons; Ginta and Hakkaku.   
  
"What took you two so long?" snapped Kouga as he watched the two gasp for air as they moved their hands to their knees, trying to catch their breath.   
  
Looking after Inuyasha and the mysterious hanyou that he seemed almost more protective over than Kagome, the wolf demon turned around when he heard the buzzing of insects.   
  
"Naraku's insects!" shouted Ginta as he pointed up into the sky when his sensitive ears heard the noise as well.   
  
"They're headed for the Sacred Forest of Demons... Let's go! I knew that that Naraku bastard would be there," growled Kouga as he raced off towards the forest again, leaving a cloud of smoke behind him.   
  
"Weren't you the one that suggested that?" asked Ginta as he looked at the twitching Hakkaku.   
  
Sighing, the wolf demon led his companion after their leader who didn't seem to understand that they weren't as fast as him. **

* * *

**"This is taking forever! We should be there by now! What if Kagome and Inuyasha are there and they need our help?" asked Shippo as he hopped up and down on Miroku's shoulder.   
  
"Be quiet Shippo! Can you feel that Miroku?" asked the demon exterminator as she looked up ahead, her senses in full alert.   
  
"Yes, and it seems as if a large crowd of youkai are heading in the direction of the sun," said Miroku as he looked northeast towards the horizon, signaling that night was about to befall them.   
  
"Kirara," said Sango.   
  
The demon roared and quickly bonded towards the area that held the scent of thousands upon thousands of demons.   
  
"If we follow the demons then we're most likely going to find the Sacred Forest of Demons, step on it Kirara!" shouted the flea demon as the cat-like demon raced its flamed paws in the air, allowing them to fly above the trees that seemed to be growing taller and taller as they moved on.   
  
"Wow! Look at all those demons down there! There has to be over five thousand of those demons down there!" shouted Shippo as he clung onto the monk's shoulder, not wanting to fall into the sea of creatures that were trampling all over each other to get to their destination.   
  
"This isn't good, if they all enter the forest and Naraku is planning to do something with the energy in the forest in the first place..." began Sango as her eyes searched frantically around the crowd of demons in hopes of seeing a speck of white that would be their friend.   
  
"That means that the power within the forest will and grow, and that can only mean bad news," finished Miroku as his usually live face expression became a stern one.   
  
"Naraku can't possibly defeat all those demons," reassured Shippo as he stood up tall in confidence that his fellow demons would put an end to Naraku's plans.   
  
"We can't count on that Shippo, Naraku might have planned that the demons would go after him," stated Sango seriously.   
  
"Our first priority is to find Inuyasha and Kagome," said Miroku as the rest of the group nodded and watched with grim faces at the crowd of demons below them that probably had no real clue as to what they were getting themselves into. **

* * *

**"Put me down right this instant Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome angrily as she pounded her fists against his chest until he slowed to a stop and let her down.   
  
Glaring at the demon, Kagome turned away with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes widened as she opened them and saw where they had stopped.   
  
"You said that you wanted to stop and get weapons, and this is the only place with swords, bows and arrows that are still intact. Go ahead and choose from the hundreds of them," said Inuyasha, still angry that she had protected the wolf demon.   
  
Kagome was close to tears as she covered a hand over her nose as the strong scent of human blood flew into her nostrils, choking her. The stench of decaying bodies surrounded her as she saw the red soiled ground; the tainted ground that had absorb the liquid of life from these innocent villagers. Her amber eyes scanned the area and knew that Inuyasha was right. There were weapons scattered all over the place and it was evident, from some of the eaten body parts, that demons had gone through here. And that meant they were indeed headed in the correct direction. That seemed like the only good thing about this place. Thinking twice about taking the weapons of the fallen villagers, Kagome turned to leave when she was met face to face with an enraged demon who suddenly grinned at her.   
  
"What, leaving so soon? I thought you wanted to get weapons," mocked Inuyasha as he advanced on her, his claws flexed out.   
  
"I'd rather not take the weapons of those that have fallen in battle," said Kagome as she held her head up high.   
  
"This isn't war Kagome, this is a matter of life and death with the unbalance of our nature. Whether you like it or not, you have a demonic side as well and you better get use to this new life," seethed the youkai as he held her shoulders so that she'd stop trembling.   
  
"What's happened to you Inuyasha? Why are you acting like this?" asked Kagome. Unshed tears came to her eyes when he forced her to face the one green and gorgeous village.   
  
"This is the outcome of almost every battle that we've fought, why are you crying now?" asked Inuyasha in her left ear, causing her to shudder.   
  
"I don't know," chocked out Kagome as she stifled a cry.   
  
"You have to learn to live with it, like you have before you transformed," said Inuyasha as he walked towards the dead bodies and picked up a bow that was still in good shape and threw Kagome a bag of arrows.   
  
"You expect me to use the weapons of the dead?" asked Kagome with wide eyes.   
  
"Do you expect us to waste the day away trying to make them for you? We only have so long before Naraku defeats all of those weaklings that call themselves full blooded youkai," snarled Inuyasha as his eyes moved towards the direction of the Sacred Forest of the Demons.   
  
"No..." whispered Kagome, but she knew full well that he heard.   
  
"The strong live and the weak die; that is the nature of our kind Kagome. Just remember, that you aren't weak and you will never be because I won't allow you to die," said Inuyasha as he moved before her and handed over the bow, his now golden eyes sparkling like diamonds as he met her deep drowning brown depths.   
  
Nodding, Kagome only looked away and looked at the forest as Inuyasha picked up a sword.   
  
"I miss the old Inuyasha," said Kagome inaudibly to herself as a clear sphere rolled down her cheeks, the dying sun making the tear shine as it dropped to the soil purifying the once tainted ground.**

* * *

_**A/N: ** That's about it, see you guys next time!_


	8. The Threat

**Author's Note:** So sorry that I haven't updated this in a while, but I have lots of homework to do and I admit I was crazy for writing so many fics at once.... But, I will try my best to update when I can. Someone asked for me to give a preview of the next chapter from now on so there's a small preview at the end of this chapter! ^_^ **_ Oh yeah, and there are some manga spoilers in this!_**

** Chapter Eight: The Threat   
  
A wave of youkai crashed against the Sacred Forest of Demons and was suddenly thrown back as a large red crackling barrier stood in their way. Growls pierced the air like knives and thick bodies were thrown against the barrier. Demons cried out in pain as the shocking barrier electrocuted them and sent them flying back against the creatures behind them.   
  
"Those fools, don't they understand that Naraku's barrier can't be broken by mere strength alone?" asked Miroku as he shook his head.   
  
"We've been circling around this area for quite some time now and I still can't see anything that has white hair! Do you think that Inuyasha and Kagome could still be somewhere near the place we found the spider youkai?" asked Sango as she scanned through the crowd.   
  
The others thought hard about it as Kirara walked along the air and avoided Naraku's insects as best she could; they seemed to be traveling towards the forest as well, but every time they got near the barrier, they couldn't make it through.   
  
"Wait!" shouted Miroku suddenly, causing Shippo to go flying off of his shoulder in shock.   
  
"Bubble form!" shouted Shippo as he became a purple bubble and floated back up to land on Kirara's forehead.   
  
"Do you think that Naraku's barrier only goes so high? Kirara, try following the Saimyoushou straight into the barrier," shouted Miroku over the loud buzzing of the insects and the cries of the demons down below.   
  
Growling, the cat-like demon followed the command.   
  
"Ouch! What was that for, Shippo?" demanded Miroku as he looked at the kitsune that had bitten him on the head when he jumped back up to the monk's shoulder.   
  
"You idiot monk, you could have killed me!" complained Shippo as he hit him on the head once more before jumping over to land on Sango's shoulder.   
  
"Stop complaining you two!" shouted Sango as Kirara flew closer to the insects that didn't really seem to care that she was so close.   
  
"They're not attacking us…" stated Myouga as he looked all around them and realized that the Saimyoushou weren't attacking them.   
  
"Naraku probably knows that we're coming," said Miroku as his face darkened at the thought of facing their enemy again.   
  
"If we make it over, then that means that the youkai that can fly, can too," added Shippo as they got closer to the forest's entrance.   
  
"Let's just hope that whatever Naraku's planning is going to fail," said Sango as she petted Kirara's forehead in a sort of comfort and held Tetsusaiga in her left hand with a tight grip before, looking back down at the crowd of youkai.   
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~   
  
"Jaken, where's Lord Sesshoumaru?" asked the little seven-year-old as she sat down on her knees in a field of green grass.   
  
"Just stay quite you stupid human! Lord Sesshoumaru is on an errand," snapped the green toad as he sat on a boulder a few meters away from the girl and the two-headed dragon that was grazing beside the girl.   
  
"Rin's sorry if Rin made Jaken angry," whispered the little girl as she bowed her head, and picked a stray flower in the suffocating batch of grass.   
  
The two-headed dragon growled as they heard the youkai snort at the girl's response before nudging Rin's back with their heads.   
  
"What is it Ah and Un?" asked Rin as she stood up so that she could pat the two's mane.   
  
The two only pushed her with their snouts towards their back and with their heads helped her get on their back.   
  
"Where are Ah and Un taking Rin?" asked the human with a smile plastered on her face as her small hands took the reins.   
  
Jaken only rolled his eyes as he examined his staff and looked towards the sky.   
  
Lord Sesshoumaru will get rid of that bastard of a hanyou, I just know it! That damn half breed will feel the wrath of Lord Sesshoumaru's anger for betraying him! Jaken thought with a grin as he thought about all the ways that Naraku could get killed by his master.   
  
Looking out at the azure painting in the air, the demon jumped to up onto his green feet as he saw the girl and the beast ascend into the sky.   
  
"Get back down here! Lord Sesshoumaru placed me in charge! I command you three to come down here this instant!" hollered Jaken as he raced after them on foot.   
  
Oh, Lord Sesshoumaru is going to have my head if that stupid human gets hurt, Jaken thought, seething in anger at the fact that he had to chase a human and fear that he might not be among the living for much longer.   
  
With Rin's laughter as his guide, Jaken ran as fast as he could to catch up with the three on his small chubby webbed feet.   
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~   
  
Inuyasha watched as Kagome did a prayer for the innocents that died from up a tree with a sword hanging from his left hip. Standing over the other hanyou, Inuyasha leaned against the tree and closed his eyes as Kagome's soothing words washed through his mind. Her voice relaxed him in a calming way, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt wash over him as he remembered how rudely he had snapped at her earlier.   
  
"We can go now Inuyasha," yelled Kagome from below as she adjusted her arrow back on her right shoulder and held the bow in her left hand.   
  
Grunting in response, the half youkai jumped down the tree and walked over to his traveling companion. He forced himself to look into her honey depths that held more emotions that he could name before turning around and leading the way towards the Sacred Forest of Demons.   
  
"Inuyasha," spoke up Kagome, causing the hanyou to stop so that she could catch up with his long strides.   
  
"What?" barked Inuyasha impatiently; turning around to face her.   
  
"Why are you so moody? It's like…every time you speak to me you're either mad or…or not yourself. What's happening to you?" asked Kagome as tears threatened to pool down her cheeks in a waterfall.   
  
"Nothing's happening to me! Stop it! Stop crying…Kagome…" whispered Inuyasha as the scent of salt water threatened to suffocate him.   
  
Kagome only sniffled as the hanyou held her shoulders with his hands.   
  
"I-I don't know what's happening to me…but I do know that I don't want to hurt you and I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. I promise, when this is all over and you're back to your human form…everything will go back to the way that it was," reassured Inuyasha with a weak smile as their eyes locked.   
  
Kagome only shook her head and shrugged his hands off her shoulders before taking a step back.   
  
"I-I don't want things to go back to the way they were," said Kagome almost inaudibly as she bent her head so that the shadows covered her face.   
  
"What are you talking about? First you want things to go back to the way they were and now you don't? What do you want Kagome?" demanded Inuyasha as he shook her by the shoulders until she looked into his eyes.   
  
"I-I…. I want the old you back…but t-then I don't. I'm sorry, I'm just confusing the both of us," said Kagome as she rubbed the unwanted tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.   
  
"Hell yeah you are," said Inuyasha a bit darkly as he let her go and turned around from her after crossing his hands over his chest.   
  
"I-I'm sorry…. It's just that…. I don't know how to word it but…I want you to be stable I guess. But I also want you to be stable as in…not like before but like…when I first transformed," said Kagome as she looked at the ground and twiddled her clawed fingers.   
  
Inuyasha tensed at her words.   
  
"Let's just go," said Kagome as she bowed her head and walked on ahead.   
  
Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, the hanyou followed the miko towards the Sacred Forest of Demons.   
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~   
  
"You're really going to let Inuyasha's little buddies enter the forest?" asked Kagura as she saw Kirara's flamed paws coming towards the barrier of the sacred forest.   
  
Naraku only laughed as he sat cross legged in his seat, which was made from a cluster of roots, while his eyes looked up at the Saimyoushou that were crowding around the other trees near by.   
  
Folding her hands over her chest, the wind demon internally cringed when the agonizing screams of the youkai outside the barrier increased.   
  
"Kanna hasn't used your puppet yet if those lower classed demons are still ramming against your barrier," stated Kagura as she looked towards her master who was only a few meters away from where she stood on a large tree root.   
  
"She's waiting for the right moment. Once our opponents have worn themselves out, disposing them with a single puppet will be all too easy," cackled Naraku in his bamboo custom, his laughter echoing off the trees.   
  
Kagura only rolled her eyes and went back to watching as more and more of Naraku's insects arrived and quickly went to work on sucking the energy out of the trees.   
  
"Kagura," said Naraku suddenly as he turned to face her.   
  
"I know, I know. I'll go dispose of Inuyasha's companions," said Kagura as she enlarged one of her feathers and was about to go on when Naraku's voice stopped her.   
  
"Inuyasha's friends are of no threat to us, but his brother is another story," said Naraku as his voice dropped an octave.   
  
"Sesshoumaru?" questioned Kagura as she stared at the half breed.   
  
"He should be arriving soon, and with Toukijin as his sword in combat he will appose the most threat to us," said Naraku darkly as he remembered how the dog demon had used the sword made of his own off spring to break through his barrier at his castle.   
  
Kagura only nodded before flying off in the opposite direction that the other Saimyoushou were coming from as well as Inuyasha's friends. Guiding the feather out of the canopy of trees, Kagura only grinned as she flew towards the Lord of the Western Lands.   
  
I knew that Sesshoumaru was the only one that could defeat Naraku. Kagura thought with a devilish grin spread across her face. Finally, she would be free of the stupid hanyou's clutches.   
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~**

**_A/N:_**_ Short and simple but I really wanted to get this out! I'm sorry for not updating for so long and so I wanted to just get something out for you guys. Next one will be longer, I promise!_

Next Time:

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**_"The youkai have finally been disposed of. Great work Kanna. Once the Saimyoushou have gathered the energy of a few more trees I'll be invincible! The Shikon no Tama will be as good as mine! And finally I'll be able to become a true youkai!"_**

****

**_ "There's no way that you're going to get all of the Shikon no Tama, not as long as I stand in your way Naraku!"_**

****

**_"So you've arrived Inuyasha…."_**


	9. The Battle

** Author's Note: **As I waited for my beta to hand me back my RK fics, I decided to write this one and hand it over to my other beta that wasn't so busy. I'm sorry for the long wait, but I haven't found that much inspiration to write much of anything so therefore I took a break from writing for a while. Now that I'm no longer lazy, I decided to write again!

** Chapter Nine: The Battle**

** "Kouga, you need to slow down! The youkai ahead are going to stomp you to death!" shouted Ginta when the three wolf demons reached the edge of the Sacred Forest of Demons.**

**Ginta and Hakkaku had been following Kouga for what seemed like hours with their worn feet, but luckily for them each entrance to the forest was being bombarded by hundreds of demons. Due to the numerous amounts of creatures, they had no choice but to stop. But the moment that there was an opening, Kouga had rushed into the crowd to try and destroy the barrier.**

**"Lord Kouga has gone crazy," said Hakkaku as the two wolves moved backwards so that they wouldn't be squished by the other demons.**

**Going through the crowd of youkai was like crossing across a large river that was moving a thousand miles an hour; they would most definitely die if they even got close to the current.**

**"He's been crazy ever since he met Lady Kagome! What do we do now?" asked Ginta as he looked over at his companion.**

** Hakkaku dropped down to the ground and sighed.**

**"I guess we'll just have to wait. It's not like we can do anything, anyways."**

**Ginta only shook his head before staring into the hoard of demons that was either moving forward towards the ocean of youkai ahead, or ramming against the barriers which were closest to them.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

** "W-wait…you…foolish…creatures…" gasped the frog demon as he slowed to a walk after chasing the human and dragon for half an hour.**

** Slowing to a complete stop, Jaken leaned against his staff and moved the other hand on his knee as he tried to catch his breath. The youkai snarled when he heard the laughter of the human brat that he was supposed to look after flow through the air.**

**"Ah-Un, stop! We're leaving behind Jaken!" Rin's voice shouted.**

**"Oh, so now she realizes that they left me behind," mumbled Jaken darkly as he looked up and saw that the two headed dragon was flying back towards him.**

**"You looked tired Jaken, do you want to ride on Ah-Un too?" asked Rin from her seat on the dragons' back.**

** "Why…you…" began Jaken as he stood up and glared at her, but in the end he sighed and bent his head before walking over to her; he knew that he couldn't beat her.**

** "There's a great view from up there, Jaken! Rin saw lots of demons up there, and Rin saw many bugs in the sky too!" squealed Rin happily once they took off.**

**"You saw what?" demanded Jaken as he looked up at the girl that was seated in front of him.**

** Suddenly, his face twisted into horror as he realized just where they were headed too. They were going to the Sacred Forest of Demons; where Lord Sesshoumaru was!**

**"Rin said that Rin saw demons!" repeated Rin as she turned her head so that she could see the face of the green frog. She only blinked in confusion when she saw the terror in the youkai's face. "Is Jaken alright?"**

**"I'm fine you insolent human!" snapped Jaken as he was taken away from his thoughts.**

** Looking down after a few minutes, he gulped when he saw the mass collection of demons in a single area and noticed that even more were coming.**

**"Rin's sorry if Rin…" began the small girl, but was cut off when Jaken practically screamed his head off.**

** "Inuyasha's friends," shouted Jaken as he pointed ahead.**

** Turning her head forward again, Rin realized that there was a large cat-like creature flying right in front of them. A few more meters and they'd be side by side.**

** "Konnichiwa!" shouted Rin happily as she waved her hands at them.**

**"What are you doing? Those people are our enemies!" hissed Jaken, but nearly jumped out of his skin when the group of humans turned their heads to face the person that shouted out to them.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

**The hanyou followed warily behind Kagome as they moved confidently through the thick trees that would lead them right towards the large gathering of enraged creatures. He was beginning to feel guilty for yelling at her before and the silence between them was becoming unbearable. Her words from earlier just got him even more confused! What did she want from him? Why the hell did woman have to be so damn complicated?**

** Sighing, Inuyasha had fallen behind without knowing it and snapped out of it once he heard Kagome's voice yelling at him, "Inuyasha, hurry up!"**

**"I'm coming woman," snapped Inuyasha as he picked up his pace so that he was right beside the other hanyou.**

**"We better start moving from branch to branch; we're about to catch up to a group of youkai that aren't that pleased," said Kagome, ignoring the angry half demon beside her.**

** Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha followed after her as she jumped onto the highest branch that she could get to.**

** "Kagome," said Inuyasha after the guilt began to gnaw at him to the brink of insanity.**

**"Yes?" Kagome didn't even look back at him as they moved on ahead.**

**"What the hell do you want me to do?" asked Inuyasha angrily, unable to control the sudden rage that was filling him when he realized that she was barely even paying attention to him. Here he was trying to make things up to her, and she goes and ignores him!**

** Inuyasha stopped abruptly when he nearly smashed right into Kagome's back when she didn't move on. The hanyou leaned back a bit on the branch when she turned around and glared at him with her amber colored orbs that were filled with resentment.**

**"This is what I meant back there! You're always so mean to me! Don't you even think about other's feelings? The moment that you open your mouth nothing comes out but hurtful words and they really do hurt Inuyasha. I'm tired of seeing you act like a jerk! Can't you for once just act like you have at least some common courtesy?" asked Kagome as tears threatened to fall, but were forced back in by stubbornness and pride.**

**"I-I…" began Inuyasha in shock and mentally cursed as he realized that he couldn't find anything to say. She had been so straightforward that it left him in complete utter astonishment.**

**"I knew that you wouldn't understand," whispered Kagome as she turned around from him and raced towards Naraku.**

** Speechless, Inuyasha could only follow her.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

**The Lord of the Western Lands watched with observant eyes from a tall tree that overlooked the Sacred Forest of the Demons. His golden eyes scanned the area as he looked for an opening. There was no point in racing into something without a plan, and he was going to make sure that when he entered the forest he was going to be able to get back at the half breed within. No one messes with Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, and gets away with it. He was going to make Naraku suffer for betraying him.**

** Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose as the scent of a certain wind demon caught his attention.**

**"What do you want?" demanded Sesshoumaru as he saw Kagura approaching him on her large feather.**

**"To help you get back at Naraku," spoke Kagura truthfully as she moved within a few meters of the dog demon and was sure that none of Naraku's pets would be able to hear her.**

**"Why would you want to help me?" asked Sesshoumaru as he looked at her suspiciously.**

**"So that the demonic balance will be restored," said Kagura with a grin on her doll-like face.**

**"The truth, youkai," said Sesshoumaru darkly as his voice dropped a few octaves.**

**Kagura scowled at him, but then smirked at his brilliancy.**

**"To get rid of Naraku and set myself free from his grasp," said Kagura honestly as she moved closer to the demon.**

** Sesshoumaru looked over Naraku's offspring through his dangerously narrowed eyes, before speaking, "How do you plan to help me without Naraku killing you first?"**

**Kagura grinned at that, "What Naraku doesn't know won't hurt him until it's too late."**

**The Lord of the Western Lands looked down at the sword that been wielded from one of Naraku's offspring before looking back at Kagura.**

** "Toukijin will be all that I need to break through his barrier and defeat that scum of a creature." Sesshoumaru drew out the sword that began to pulsate with power.**

**Kagura kept in a scowl before straightening up again.**

**"Fine, but if you want to break through the barrier then you'll have to cut from the top to the bottom of the barrier so the entire thing will be destroyed. If you look up to where the Saimyoushou are, you'll see that they can get through the barrier no problem due to the fact that they're flying higher than the barrier expected," informed Kagura as she flew beside the youkai but made sure to keep her distance.**

** Sesshoumaru looked up and narrowed his eyes when he saw a certain two-head dragon and the occupants riding on it. His amber eyes slowly turned red when he saw another group of creatures heading right towards them.**

**Before Kagura could tell him anything else, Sesshoumaru was gone.**

**"He could have at least said thanks," muttered Kagura under her breath as she flew off away from the forest so that no one would suspect her for coming back too soon without Sesshoumaru's head.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

**"Did you hear that?" asked Shippo as he heard someone yell at them.**

** Turning around, the group could only stare as they recognized the little girl and frog demon that were on the back of a certain youkai's dragon.**

**"I-is that...?" began Shippo as he clung onto Miroku's shoulder.**

** "That's Lord Sesshoumaru's creature! If it's here…then that means…." Myouga crawled behind Kirara's ear as he looked around frantically for the dog demon.**

** "Sesshoumaru's here?" asked Sango as she looked around and held onto Hiraikotsu just in case the youkai decided to pop up out of no where and slit their throats.**

**"I'm surprised that that young girl is still with him," said Miroku when he realized that Rin was the one that had called out to them.**

** "Forget about her! Look down there!" shouted Shippo as he shook Miroku so that he would look down at the commotion near the entrance of the forest.**

**Miroku clenched his staff tighter when he realized that something akin to an octopus draped in a baboon costume was slashing at the demons nearby and easily killing them all. Each time a youkai came in contact with a tentacle it was either dissolved or sucked right into it. The more demons that it devoured or killed seemed to make it grow larger and stronger.**

**"One of Naraku's puppets no doubt," said Sango as they watched as the number of demons outside the forest begin to decrease.**

**"Stay back!" shouted Miroku as he noticed that Rin and Jaken were heading closer to the forest and themselves.**

**"You have no right to tell us what to do!" shouted Jaken enraged as he shook his wooden staff at the monk when they got within a few feet from each other.**

**"You must turn around, Naraku will…" began Miroku but was cut off when a sliver of silver went in between Kirara and the two dragons, causing the two creatures to back away from each other.**

**"What the…? Sesshoumaru!" cried Sango as she looked down and saw the youkai landing on the ground smoothly.**

**"He saved us!" cried Shippo in shock as he pointed to one of the purple tentacles that had fallen right beside the dog demon.**

**"That means that Naraku's puppet is going to try and attack us…. Fly away before you get injured," warned Miroku as Kirara began to descend straight for Naraku's puppet.**

**"What about Lord…" began Rin but couldn't finish because Ah-Un had flown back the way that they had came.**

** Looking down at her Lord, Rin whispered, "Be careful Sesshoumaru-sama."**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

**"Ha! You can't get me that easily Naraku!" yelled Kouga has he dodged all of the tentacles that lashed out at him. He had managed to get to the beginning of the flood of demons and was one of the demons that were left after Naraku decided to show up and stop them from getting through the barrier.**

**With the aid of the Shikon Shards in his legs, Kouga had managed to get away from the deadly purple arms that were swinging at him and the other demons that managed to get closer. He growled in disgust as he noticed that some of the youkai were falling back.**

**"Damn bastards! They only care for themselves," growled Kouga as he barely jumped away from being scratched by one of Naraku's limbs.**

**'Where are you Kagome? That mutt should have already gotten here…unless that other hanyou he was with decided to stop him!' Kouga lashed out at the closest tentacle with a claw when anger began to boil up on him. If anything happened to Kagome because of Inuyasha caring for someone else more…that hanyou was going to get it when he saw them again!**

**The wolf demon jumped back in shock when he saw the tentacle regenerate and come after him again. In his state he didn't manage to get out of the way quick enough to dodge the arm as it hit him. His now injured body skidded across the graveled ground that was already soaked in blood. The new scars on his body burning as it mixed with the tainted ground, causing the demon to scream out in pain.**

**"Damn you Naraku," hissed Kouga as he managed to get back on his feet, but barely got out of the way as another arm attacked him and ended up piercing the body of two demons that were right behind him.**

** Breaths coming in rigid gasps, Kouga forced himself to stand still as he made to attack another arm. Before he could strike, another tentacle came from the right and was about to penetrate his body when an arrow engulfed in a large violet light struck and dissolved the arm right before his eyes.**

**The demon fell on his bottom from surprise and turned around to see the same female hanyou from before.**

**"Iron Reaper, Soul Stealer!" Kouga's eyes widen when he saw Inuyasha standing between him and one of Naraku's tentacles that had been cut into pieces by the hanyou's attack.**

**"Are you going to just sit on your behind all day, or are you going to stand up and help us defeat this puppet you wimpy wolf?" snapped Inuyasha as he turned his head slightly to smirk at Kouga's state.**

**"Who are you calling a wimpy wolf, you dog turd?" demanded Kouga as he quickly stood up and narrowed his eyes at the half breed.**

** "Inuyasha!" the female hanyou's voiced penetrated their argument and luckily for them they managed to get out of the way before another three arms headed straight for them.**

**"Who's the other hanyou, dog face?" demanded Kouga as the two landed next to each other and a few meters away from Kagome.**

**"I told you before; it's none of your damn business!" Inuyasha snapped.**

**The two shot daggers at each other until they leapt up to avoid getting swapped by another one of Naraku's arms that had a group of youkai, which had already been dragged, with it as well.**

** "Where's your other sword?" asked Kouga when they once again landed on the ground.**

**"Don't you ever mind your own freaking business?" shot back Inuyasha coldly as they maneuvered away from the mass of youkai that was slowly building the tentacles that were flying around all over the place.**

** "Hiraikotsu!"**

** Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged glances as the large boomerang came ripping through the air and attacking the Saimyoushou that were redirecting their courses towards the three that were attacking Naraku's puppet. The two hanyous jumped together, with Kagome behind Inuyasha, as Sango and Miroku jumped off of Kirara and raced over to them after dodging the puppet's strikes.**

** "Inuyasha, your sword," said Sango as she threw the half demon Tetsusaiga.**

** The hanyou easily caught the sword and grinned as he felt the light weight of it in his arms. Throwing the katana that he had picked up earlier on the ground, Inuyasha placed the sheath back in its rightful place at his hip.**

** "Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru is nearby," warned Miroku as they all managed to get beside Inuyasha.**

** "Where's Kagome?" asked Shippo as he clung to Miroku's shoulder and looked around for his mother-like figure.**

** "Kagome…" began Inuyasha but was cut off by Miroku.**

**"Who's that behind you?" demanded the monk as he spotted something behind the hanyou.**

**"I'd like to know too," said Kouga as they all approached Inuyasha but turned around when they heard a loud growl of pain from behind them.**

** "Sesshoumaru," said Inuyasha almost relieved yet angered as he saw his brother slashing right through Naraku's puppet using his pulsating sword.**

**Soon enough, Naraku's puppet vanished, leaving behind what looked like a wooden toy. The only problem was that their group and Sesshoumaru were the only ones left in the area; the other youkai had either been killed or ran off.**

**"Let's go," whispered Kagome as she moved her hand in the other hanyou's and squeezed.**

** "Inuyasha, you didn't answer…" started Shippo, but fumed when he saw that Inuyasha and the creature behind him were both gone.**

**"Where did…" began Sango, but stopped when she realized that Kouga was already bounding into the Sacred Forest of Demons behind Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.**

**"We have to follow!" shouted Shippo as he jumped off the monk's shoulder and raced for the barrier of the forest.**

** "You'll have to go on your own with Myouga and Kirara, Miroku and I can't follow you," said Sango as Kirara picked up Shippo onto her back as well as Myouga that was already hanging onto her forehead.**

**"Good luck you three! Find Inuyasha!" shouted Miroku as the three vanished into the forest.**

**"I just hope that they'll be alright," said Sango as she looked after their vanishing forms.**

**"Let us pray together…" Miroku mindlessly placed a hand on Sango's bottom and retrieved a nasty slap in the face for it.**

**"Can you not be a pervert for just a second, houshi-sama?" snapped Sango as she glared at him.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

**The sound of laughter bounced off the trees as Naraku watched his insects gather the sap from the trees before landing into what looked like a large black pot that barely reached the very top leaves of the tall trees surrounding it. As soon as the youkai landed they slowly began depositing the sap that they had collected into the pot.**

** "Naraku, most of the demons have already been discarded of," spoke Kanna as she appeared beside him on a branch, her mirror held calmly in her hands.**

**The two fell into silence as they watched the Saimyoushou fill up the vessel with the golden sap of the trees for a few seconds.**

**Just as the two began to get comfortable, Naraku spoke evenly as he laughed.**

**"The youkai have finally been disposed of. Great work Kanna. Once the Saimyoushou have gathered the energy of a few more trees I'll be invincible! The Shikon no Tama will be as good as mine! And finally I'll be able to become a true youkai!"**

** "There's no way that you're going to get all of the Shikon no Tama, not as long as I stand in your way Naraku!" A voice growled out from the trees nearby.**

**Naraku suddenly turned his head towards the sound of the voice and sensed that more than one creature was coming their way, and narrowed his eyes when he realized that his barrier had been broken.**

** 'Kagura…I should have known that she'd fail…' Naraku thought darkly as he sensed his worse enemy heading that way as well as his brother.**

**He grinned darkly as he saw a familiar hanyou headed straight towards him with someone trailing right behind him.**

** "So you've arrived Inuyasha," stated Naraku as he stood up from his position between the tree roots to greet his foe.**

** "You beat Sesshoumaru here," spoke up Kanna, a bit surprised, from behind her master.**

** "It wouldn't matter who got here first, you're still going down, Naraku," scowled Inuyasha as he let go of Kagome's hand and unsheathed Tetsusaiga so that it grew to its true form.**

** 'So it seems that Inuyasha's powers have gotten stronger…. There's something familiar about that other hanyou.' Naraku thought as he recoiled back from Inuyasha's head on attack.**

** Naraku's eyes widened for a minute as he realized just who the other being was when an arrow, surrounded by a dark pink glow, hit him right in the chest; pinning him to the black pot that began to leak of the gold sap due to the newly made hole from Kagome's arrow.**

** The crack created from the pure arrow slowly began to move upward and downward until the entire pot began to crumble. A shattering sound echoed through the entire forest as the honey colored liquid began flowing out of the black kettle like a giant wave.**

** Naraku's laugh was the last thing that anyone in the forest heard before they were drowned in the golden sap of the trees from the Sacred Forest of the Demons.**

** ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤**

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, and when Naraku laughs we all know it's not the end!


	10. The Rage of the Sacred Forest

** Author's Note:** I decided to finish this fic since I already finished one of my RK fics. This story was intended to be like an episode in the Anime, even though it's ten chapters long. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter!

** Chapter 10: The Rage of the Sacred Forest**

** The sap of the trees shimmered on the ground of the Sacred Forest of the Demons like melted gold. Not a sound was heard as the honey colored liquid made its way through the roots of the towering trees to seep of the forest.**

** "What do you suppose that Naraku was planning to do with all of this sap?" the demon exterminator asked the monk as they watched the life force of the Sacred Trees stop flowing at the edge of the forest as if there were an invisible barrier there.**

**"I don't know, but I can feel a very powerful aura coming from it," said Miroku as he noticed that the sap was rising to the level of their knees around the cluster of trees.**

**"I wonder why the liquid doesn't flow outside of the forest," thought Sango out loud as she clutched her boomerang on her back tighter.**

** "That's because the golden water that you see rising was made from the trees that fed off of the power of previous youkai," answered the friend of a certain wolf demon.**

** Turning around, Sango and Miroku acknowledged the presences of Hakkaku and Ginta with a curt nod.**

** "Therefore the sap can only survive with the life force of demons, which is collected within those trees that you see before you. If the sap were to leave the Sacred Forest of the Demons, then it'll evaporate into nothing," added Hakkaku when the two reached the couple.**

** "It has a life of its own?" asked Sango incredulously as she turned to face the yellow substance again.**

** "It possesses the power of previous demons that have entered the forest, so yes; it does have a life of its own. The sap will take on youkai instincts and want to protect the trees from any further harm, which means that it'll take over the trees to do so. That's why the sap is going down again, because it's being absorbed by the trees' roots," explained Ginta.**

** "The moment that the sap left its rightful place within the trees, its demon nature to survive began to grow. This is the reason why all of the youkai wanted to stop Naraku from taking the sap, because once the sap takes over the trees, there will be no stopping its rage. Impulsively, the trees will begin to destroy anything and everything within the forest until there's nothing left," stated Hakkaku with a grim expression before Sango and Miroku could ask any further questions.**

** "Which means that not even demons can enter the sacred forest afterwards," said Ginta as he clenched his fists.**

** "Due to the fact that the forest itself cannot trust anyone else again because of the betrayal caused by Naraku," said Miroku as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.**

** "The Sacred Forest of the Demons provided peace and relaxations to the demons in return for a bit of strength, and now that Naraku has unbalanced this tradition the forest is going to take it as an invitation to lock its territory to all demons!" Sango's hold on Hiraikotsu tightened as realization dawned on her.**

** "Aren't you two going to go in there and help Kouga-kun?" asked Miroku as he looked over at the two wolf demons.**

** The monk was a bit surprised when the pair shook their heads gloomily.**

** "Why not?" asked Sango confused; they had always been loyal to Kouga.**

** "If we go inside, our powers will be sucked out of us by the sap," reminded Hakkaku.**

** "The sap feeds on the life energy of demons…. Then that means that…" began Sango as she looked at Miroku with horror filled eyes.**

** "Inuyasha and the others will be sucked of their powers or worse," finished Miroku, his hands tightening on his staff; he couldn't help but feel guilty that he was powerless to help his traveling companions.**

** The four could only wait and pray for their friends to come out of the forest safely.**

** ¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤**

** She couldn't breathe and all that she could hear was the gurgling of water rushing in her ears as her body was forced to follow the current that had caught her so unexpectedly. Had she known that her arrow would have destroyed the large black kettle as well, she wouldn't have shot the bastard who stood before it. But there was no way to turn back Time and stop her self from doing what she did; the deed was done.**

**_ KAGOME!_**

** Was she hearing things? Was someone really calling her name?**

**_ KAGOME!_**

** There it was again, but this time it sounded more desperate and almost pleading. Someone was trying to get her attention; but who?**

** ¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤**

** "Kagome; where are you?" shouted the hanyou again as he walked around in the thigh deep river of gold, frantically trying to find his companion.**

** Soaked from head to toe in the sap, Inuyasha pushed away his silver hair that was sticking to his face. His senses were slowly fading away from him and he cursed at how useless he was becoming.**

** "Speak up!" cried out Inuyasha again, his amber orbs scanning the entire area for Kagome.**

** The only things visible to him were the ever looming trees around the clearing and the honey-like substance that he was standing in.**

** Blinking the sap from his eyesight, he rubbed his eyes to make sure that what he saw was real. He nearly smiled with relief as he recognized the bow; it meant that Kagome was nearby. Looking around, the hanyou spotted something red and white just a few meters from him.**

** Struggling against the flow of the sap, Inuyasha made his way over to Kagome's lifeless form and lifted her up. Mustering the last of his strength, the hanyou jumped up towards the closest tree branch before jumping up higher and higher.**

** "Kagome," whispered Inuyasha as he sat down on the branch so that he could cradle her head in his right arm and her body on his lap.**

** Golden eyes widened in horror when the half demon realized that the miko wasn't breathing.**

** Quickly brushing away her now semi-black hair from her face, Inuyasha captured her slowly bluing lips and began to breathe into her mouth. Unconsciously, his free arm wrapped itself around Kagome's sticky waist to keep her from slipping out his hold.**

** Pulling away only to catch his own breath and gather more air, Inuyasha again allowed their lips to meet as he gave her what her body longed for. Just as he was about to part again, Kagome's brown eyes snapped open in shock. Her coughing fit told her savior that she was breathing again.**

** "Are you alright?" asked Inuyasha as Kagome turned her head to the side to rid her body of the sap that had entered her earlier on when she was swept away.**

** "I-I'm f-fine…n-now," gasped out Kagome when she slowly turned to face Inuyasha again, her face tinged with a nice shade of pink.**

** Inuyasha smiled, but suddenly frowned when he got a better look at her.**

** "What?" demanded Kagome once she got her much needed oxygen back.**

** "The sap of the sacred trees managed to get to your demon life force," stated Inuyasha as his eyes fell on her face and then at his now humanly nailed hands.**

** Kagome's eyes widened as she finally realized that Inuyasha had become human and smiled when she noticed that she too had become human again. Touching her face and toying with her now black hair to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, Kagome squealed with delight before throwing her hands around Inuyasha's neck.**

** "Oh thank you Inuyasha! You saved my life! And I'm human again!" Kagome spoke, her voice full of delight and happiness that she wouldn't have to wait so long to become human again. She could now face her friends without worry.**

** Inuyasha only rolled his eyes at her actions as he tried desperately not to blush from the position that they were in. He forced himself to bite back a groan at how well her body fit against his own when she hugged him, and being soaked in the sap allowed him to notice just how perfectly her curves fit with his own. His eyes nearly rolled back in pleasure as the scent that was distinctively her intoxicated his senses; they were just a bit too close for just a bit too long.**

** "Wait! What happened to Naraku?" asked Kagome as she remembered what had happened before she almost drowned.**

** The question snapped the once half demon back to reality as he suddenly stood up, nearly causing the miko to fall off the branch from surprise.**

**"I almost forgot about him!" confessed Inuyasha as he scanned the area and muttered curses about how human eyesight wasn't reliable.**

** "You could have warned me before you got up!" yelled Kagome as she stood up angrily.**

** "This is no time to argue! We have to find the bastard Naraku before he finds us like this. In our current stages, we can't very well protect ourselves, can we?" snapped Inuyasha as the two locked gazes.**

** Kagome bit her bottom lip when common sense decided to return to her; they really were in danger if Naraku caught hem as they were now.**

** "Chotto matte yo! How can we still be in the Sacred Forest of the Demons if we're human?" asked Kagome when the comprehension of their state dawned on her.**

** Inuyasha fell silent at that.... Humans couldn't enter the forest, so how in the world were they still inside and alive? Kagome's sudden latch onto his arm snapped him out of his reverie, staring down at her in confusion he finally figured out what she was so afraid of.**

** There at the bottom of the tree in which they stood was Naraku and Kanna; both seemed unaffected by the sap. Moving his gaze to what they were looking at, Inuyasha's eyes widened when he noticed that the roots of the trees around the area had rose from the ground and were pointing dangerously at the two. He took note that all of the sap had disappeared while he tried to figure out how Naraku had escaped being changed into a human, because he too was only a half breed.**

** "Inuyasha," whispered Kagome, but fell silent when she felt Inuyasha wrap an arm around her abdomen and move a finger to her lips to keep her quiet.**

** Getting the hint, Kagome allowed Inuyasha to hold her as the couple looked onward at the scene before them.**

** ¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤x¤**

** "Kirara; do you see Inuyasha anywhere?" asked Shippo as he rode on Kirara who had flown to the sky the moment that they saw the sap headed their way.**

** "Lord Inuyasha's blood has changed! He must have been caught in the wave of the golden energy," acknowledge the flea demon as he jumped up and down on Kirara's back.**

** "Does that mean that the Forest is going to kick him out because he doesn't have any demon blood anymore?" asked Shippo as he looked at Myouga worriedly.**

** Myouga stopped jumping as he brushed his hand through his beard.**

** "Lord Inuyasha still has demon blood in him, but it's just lying dormant for the time being because all of his demon life force was sucked out of him, not blood. Watch out Kirara!" Myouga warned as a tree branch attacked them.**

** "What's going on?" asked Shippo frightened as Kirara barely dodged the other tree branches that were suddenly trying to hit them.**

** "The trees must have gotten a mind of their own once the sap returned to them! They want revenge!" spoke Myouga as Kirara growled when one of her tails were hit.**

** "Then they should be after Naraku, not us!" complained Shippo as he grabbed a few leaves from inside his vest and threw them at the branches in front of them, the leaves turning into bombs.**

** "Yeah!" shouted Shippo as the branches retreated when the bombs exploded and did minimal damage to the tree branches but enough to allow them to fly away.**

** "The trees can't tell who it was that attacked them, all that they know is that some demon attacked them so therefore they're going after each and every one until there are no more demon life forces inside here," explained Myouga as Kirara began to fly towards an opening.**

** "Wait, Kirara! Over there in one of the branches, it's Inuyasha! Oh no, he really is human…is that Kagome?" asked Shippo incredulously as he spotted the couple just a few dozen meters from.**

** "Shippo, look!" interrupted Myouga as he pointed at the base of the tree that Inuyasha and Kagome were at, "Naraku is there with that Kanna demon, and he's about to get attacked."**

** "That's what he gets!" stated Shippo as he snarled at the sight of the man in the baboon suit.**

** The sight of hundreds of tree roots pointing directly at Naraku was quite the sight, and seeing that the half demon was doing nothing to stop them got the three curious.**

** "Why isn't the tree with Kagome and Inuyasha on it attacking Naraku? I thought that all of the trees would be attack him," said Shippo as he noticed the little detail.**

**"I don't understand either…. Kirara, fly down towards Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome; we have to get out of here," ordered Myouga, the flying demon growling in response as she descended towards the tree.**

** "Kagome, Inuyasha, are you two okay?" asked Shippo the moment that they got close enough, ignoring the fact that Naraku and Kanna had looked up towards them.**

** "Shippo; what are you doing in here?" asked Kagome instead as she stared at them.**

** "I'm surprised that you're here you cowardly flea," said Inuyasha as he noticed Myouga who could only stutter for an answer.**

** "No time to talk, get on," said Shippo as Kirara stayed afloat beside the branch that the two were on.**

** Inuyasha helped Kagome up before he too jumped on.**

** "I'll get you next time Inuyasha," spoke a cold and dark voice from below them.**

** Five sets of eyes stared down as they watched in fascination as all the roots of the trees attacked Naraku's form at once. The dust rose from the ground from the impact of the tree roots so that no one could see what had happened to the two that were just down below them.**

** "Another puppet; I knew it. Naraku had taken the full blow of the sap when Kagome released it from its prison right behind him; there was no way he could have kept all of his demon life force," growled Inuyasha angrily when the dust cleared and revealed that the only thing that got destroyed was the baboon costume.**

** "Kagome…how did you manage to get into the Sacred Forest of the Demons?" asked Shippo after Kirara ascended above the canopy of trees that were viciously moving around trying to kill off something else.**

** "Uh…" Kagome swallowed hard as she tried to think of an excuse and looked back at Inuyasha for help.**

** "What happened to you and Lord Inuyasha after you were attacked by the spider youkai, Lady Kagome?" asked Myouga when she didn't answer.**

** "Well…. We….eh…." started Kagome but began to fidget with her fingers when she couldn't put together her words.**

** "We went to get Kagome's wounds healed in a secluded area where her rest wouldn't get interrupted. I dragged her here and her miko powers protected her from being sensed at all by the sacred trees," Inuyasha lied calmly with his eyes closed and hands stuffed into his sleeves.**

** Kirara roared before the kitsune or flea demon could question the pair again.**

** Raising their heads towards what it was that Kirara was roaring at, the group spotted Ah-Un staying adrift in front of them with Jaken as well as the little girl seated on their backs.**

** "What are they doing here? I almost forgot; Sesshoumaru and Kouga are still inside the Forest! Do you think that they were drained of their power too?" asked Kagome as she turned around to see Inuyasha's grim expression.**

**As if on cue, a flash of purple sparks appeared right below them and a crashing sound signaled that a few trees had been hacked down. A white blur appeared where the trees had once been standing and Rin's delighted voice alerted the group that Lord of the Western Lands had made it out of the Sacred Forest of the Demons unscathed.**

** "Lord Sesshoumaru!" beamed Rin as Sesshoumaru sheathed Toukijin from his standing position on Ah-Un's back.**

**"I see that you both have changed," noted Sesshoumaru as he stared at the blushing Kagome and scowling Inuyasha.**

** "Lord Sesshoumaru! Did you get that deceiving Naraku character?" asked Jaken before Inuyasha could make a cold remark back.**

** "Let's go," was Sesshoumaru's only reply as Ah-Un obliged and left the area.**

** Shippo sighed relieved as he spoke, "That was a close one, I was certain that Sesshoumaru would have taken care of Inuyasha because he was in his human state."**

**"I could have taken care of him," said Inuyasha arrogantly as he hit Shippo on the head when the small youkai shook his head.**

** "Sango, Miroku!" cried out Kagome when she looked ahead and noticed that the pair were staring at the forest intently.**

** "Lady Kagome, Inuyasha! You're both alright," said Miroku with a smile on his face as he waved at them with his staff.**

** "Lady Kagome, did you see Kouga in there?" asked Ginta as the two wolf demons raced over towards Kirara the moment that she landed on the ground.**

** "He hasn't come out yet? When Inuyasha and I went up against Naraku, we didn't see him anywhere," said Kagome as Inuyasha helped her off of Kirara.**

** "Inuyasha; you're human!" gasped Sango shocked as she stared at the man who was once a hanyou.**

** "State the obvious why don't you?" snapped Inuyasha a bit darkly; he had always hated being in his human form.**

** "We have to go in after him!" cried Hakkaku when the information sunk in that their leader was probably still in the forest.**

** "You can't; you both will get killed by the trees! They attacked Naraku, well his puppet anyways, and he had to retreat. I don't think that Kouga would want you two to risk your lives for him," said Kagome seriously.**

** "So you were the hanyou that Inuyasha was hiding behind him earlier; why didn't you tell us that you were transformed Lady Kagome?" asked Miroku, snapping everyone else out of their previous thoughts.**

** "H-how did you know?" asked Kagome in shock as she stared at the monk who was grinning.**

**"I had suspected something when you and Inuyasha made an appearance by the well and when I noticed your holy powers before you left to fight Naraku, it confirmed my suspicions," said Miroku, raising his index his finger to give himself an air of importance.**

** "So that's why you were able to enter the forest before, because then you had a demon life force within your body!" said Shippo, clinging to Kagome's shoulder as realization dawned on him.**

** "Inuyasha had to give me some of his blood since I had lost so much of it before, and also it was the only way to help me get rid of the poison that the spider youkai had injected into me. We were going to wait to return to you during the time that Inuyasha's demon blood slept so that my miko powers could easily purify his blood and turn me back to a human," explained Kagome as she flashed the others an apologetic smile.**

**"I see…. Now things are slowly making sense. I have also determined why the trees hadn't attacked Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome. They were humans and the trees had no intentions of hurting them because someone of demon powers had attacked them, not human. So therefore they ruled them out as the ones that killed their fellow companions," said Myouga as he nodded at his own clarification of what had happened.**

** "Poor Kouga, he's probably already been flattened out or poked to death by those trees; they nearly cut off our heads when we were looking for you two!" said Shippo.**

**"I guess that we can now enter the forest without fear of being killed," said Sango as she looked at Miroku who nodded.**

** "We'll just have to go in there and find him," said Kagome as she began to walk back towards the wall of trees, but was stopped by a hand firmly held onto her right wrist.**

** Turning around, Kagome stared into her rescuer's stern dark violet eyes that almost seemed black.**

** "If Sesshoumaru managed to get away, then so did Kouga. The two were right behind us when you attacked Naraku and set the sap loose. They were probably both looking on from the branches and waiting for a time to attack; I sensed them," said Inuyasha as his hold on her hand tightened; he didn't want her to leave his side and risk almost losing her again.**

** "You know that Kouga isn't as powerful as Sesshoumaru…" started Kagome but was cut of by Inuyasha.**

** "But he's just as fast with the aid of the shards of the Shikon no Tama," added Inuyasha.**

** Kagome bit her lower lip as she looked at the forest before returning her gaze to Inuyasha's and sighing.**

** "Hey, you mangy mutt, you were just going to let me almost get killed in there?" cursed the ruff voice of a certain Wolf Prince as he raced out of the forest with dust trailing after him.**

** Inuyasha growled back at the wolf demon that only had so many scars on his arms from the tree branches. Pushing Kagome behind him, Inuyasha stood in front of her protectively.**

** "You're pathetic if you got caught by that oozing gold stuff," mocked Kouga as he smirked in triumph that he had managed to get on the hanyou's nerves. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the red and white kimono that belonged to the other hanyou that had followed Inuyasha inside. "So is that other half breed behind you your bitch now?" growled out Kouga when his men raced to his side.**

** "Uh Kouga…that's…." started Ginta but was cut off when Inuyasha laughed and grinned at Kouga.**

** "So, you're finally agreeing that Kagome belongs to me and not you?" asked Inuyasha, enjoying the shocked expression on Kouga's face as Kagome stepped out from behind him with narrowed eyes at the wolf demon.**

**"I tried to warn you," said Ginta as he shook his head at Kouga's reaction.**

** "Kagome? I-I…" Kouga stuttered as he stared at her in astonishment.**

**"I am not anyone's bitch!" snapped Kagome as she clenched her fists to her side angrily, causing the kitsune to jump from her shoulder to Inuyasha's in fear.**

** "Um… I think I hear the other wolf demons calling me back," Kouga lied as he quickly raced off, dragging his friends by the collars.**

** Inuyasha let out another laugh with the rest of the gang as they watched Kouga run away.**

** "I'll get him next time for calling me Inuyasha's.…" Kagome suddenly blushed as she realized just what that meant towards an inu youkai.**

** "Come on, let's get going. There's not much that we can do now," said Miroku as he moved to get on Kirara.**

** "There's not much room on Kirara and I think that I want to walk back to Kaede's village," said Kagome with a smile to the rest of the group.**

** "Then I'll walk back too," said Inuyasha in his arrogant manner; he wasn't about to let Kagome be alone after what happened to her before.**

** "That's a long walk, Kagome. I'll have Kirara come back for you and Inuyasha once the rest of us get there," said Sango as she got on Kirara as well.**

** "Have a safe trip you two!" cried out Shippo as he attached himself to Miroku's shoulder.**

** "Okay, you too!" shouted back Kagome as she waved them good bye as they flew away.**

** "We might as well get going," said Inuyasha when the others were out of view.**

** Kagome smiled at him before following.**

** After an hour of comfortable silence, Kagome decided to speak up, "Do you k now when you'll be able to change back into a hanyou?"**

** Inuyasha only shrugged as they walked along the grass and was glad that they had taken the path that wasn't littered with the bones of humans and weaker youkai that had been left behind by the stronger demons. It seemed like it would take a while before the path towards the Sacred Forest of the Demons would once again become beautiful and the forest itself become peaceful with demons again.**

**"I can feel my powers slowly purifying your blood," spoke Kagome after another long moment of silence.**

** Inuyasha moved a hand to the sheath of Tetsusaiga and absent-mindedly toyed with the hilt of it.**

** "About what I said earlier before we got to the forest; I didn't really mean it. I know that you're proud and I should have understood that the only reason why you're so guarded is because of your past. You didn't exactly live a wonderful life before," whispered Kagome as she looked up towards the darkening sky; tears brimming from the corner of her eyes.**

** Stopping, Inuyasha moved his hands on Kagome's shoulder and forced her to look at him.**

** "You shouldn't cry for me," said Inuyasha as he wiped away the tears that had fallen upon her cheeks.**

** "B-but…" Kagome kept quiet when he moved a finger to her lips and shook his head.**

**"I guess that I should have acted like a jerk to you all the time. There are many things that I wished I hadn't said or did to you, and I'm sorry if I ever hurt you," admitted Inuyasha as his eyes met her own.**

** "No! I shouldn't have expected you to change just because I wanted you to be different. I should have respected your privacy and wanting to be alone by pushing those that care for you away. I should have understood…" began Kagome again, but was hushed when warm lips touched her own.**

** Instinctively her arms snaked their way shyly around his neck and deepened the kiss. Her lips slowly parting as her head tilted to give her 'traveling companion' better access to her mouth.**

** "No more I should haves," said Inuyasha with a small smile on his face when their lips parted.**

** Kagome blushed and didn't say anything when his arms settled on her hips.**

** "Thank you," said Kagome as she laid her head on Inuyasha's chest.**

** "For what?" Inuyasha asked as he looked down at her confused.**

** "For just being you," answered Kagome as she closed her eyes and allowed herself the pleasure of hearing his calm heartbeat in her ears.**

** "Your welcome, and," said Inuyasha as he moved a hand through her ebony terraces, "thanks for being my reason to live and for keeping me sane."**

** Kagome moved her head from its place on his chest to look up at him with a smile on her lips that somehow got closer to his own.**

**A growl from beside them caused the couple to pull apart with a start, and blushed as they looked at Kirara who was smiling at them.**

** Exchanging contented smiled, the couple walked over to the awaiting demon and moved themselves on her back. Just as they were lifted into the air, the sun vanished and made way for the numerous stars in the sky as well as the glowing moon.**

** Kagome closed her eyes as she leaned against the man behind her, and half noticed the white locks that cascaded against her shoulders. Strong arms held her, as if never to let go, as the couple rode off into endless night.**

**_ The End_**

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed it, and please review telling me what you thought of the fic!


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